Janet Johnson will always be remembered for her elegance, poise and spiritual wisdom. She became a regular attendee in gatherings of the Sant Nirankari Mission during the time of HH Baba Hardev Singhji, and became a regular contributor in Oneness Gatherings (Satsangs). Although of Afro-Caribbean heritage, Janet took to Punjabi classes so that she could more fully access the teachings of the Avtar Bani in its original expression. Whilst Janet was laid to rest on 11 Nov 2020, following a period of ill-health, the writing below was her last communication with fellow saint-devotees, at the Centre for Oneness in West Midlands, UK. The Editorial Team at Universal Target Journal wished to share this beautiful declaration with all readers across the world, as a means to deepen their own faith and commitment to Satguru and her teachings.
Many a time I have asked myself, what is the purpose of life? The answer has changed a number of times over the years. I often say to myself, it can’t be just to live, work, eat, procreate and then die. For, if that were the case, we would be no better than animals. If indeed that is not the case, then what is the purpose?
I said to myself, there must be a reason why we are here on this earth. As I got older, that question began to burn into me. I questioned many people, who gave me a lot of worldly answers that I was not satisfied with. So I sought answers from books. Although they were quite useful, the question of purpose remained unanswered.
That is when I began my quest – the quest to become a seeker of Truth. It was like a thirst that needed to be quenched. I tried various establishments, but all in vain. It was either because the question was not answered fully, or that I did not feel 100% comfortable for one reason or another.
I finally found sanctuary in the Centre for Oneness. Now there was no turning back! I felt as if I had come home. I met some like-minded people, who not only inspired me, but became my role models.
As I spent more and more time at the Centre, my yearning grew exponentially. I knew that I would be able to find some real answers. I was fortunate to have been introduced to the Satguru, the Perfect Teacher, through whose grace I was able to partake of the Brahm Gyan. Receiving the Gyan enabled me to be aware of the Creator, Formless God or the Almighty.
I always knew there was something over and above this visible world, but I only had wild or worldly ideas of what this something was. But when I processed the Gyan, I made a startling discovery. I realised that I am not this body or the physical shell; I am the soul that is immortal. I learned my true identity and of course my purpose: I am a spiritual being having a human experience.
Every question and doubt was shattered. All my judgements and insecurities slowly began to disappear. I knew that my human experience was work in progress. I would make mistakes, only to learn from them, and to grow in the process.
I learned that everything we see is transient – i.e. temporary and terminal. The shell will break down completely, and die one day. A film last year featured some people walking around with a number above their heads. This number was counting down; each day it was getting less, indicating how long each person had left to live on this earth. The Formless Nirankar alone knows what that number is. We do not know it. Some people attach themselves to the temporary realm, believing that they will never die. It is important to know that the Formless alone is everlasting, ceaseless and permanent. In the Mission, the Satguru makes this clear. Satguru tells us that the true self is the soul, and that the shell in which the soul is housed, is the vessel.
Unfortunately, in the absence of the Gyan, the worldly people attach themselves to the shell. They are constantly filled with doubt and insecurities; they indulge in all kinds of negative egoic behaviour, believing they are happy. This is usually quite the contrary, for they are in fact suffering because of their ignorance. Not knowing the Creator, they enter into the cycle of births and deaths, and deprive themselves of true happiness, contentment and bliss.
Through the guidance of the Satguru, we are reminded to stay connected to the Formless by attending Satsang (keeping the company of Saints), perform Simran (saying the holy prayer) and do Seva (the performance of selfless service in whatever form it may take). We learn many positive virtues and become less worldly. Our time on this earth in this “shell” becomes pleasant and blissful, no matter what our individual life experiences are. If, however, we remain attached to this worldly realm and cling to the ego, we run the risk of creating a hell on earth.
This is not to say that we are to give up on this temporary realm; no, we must try to be successful at whatever it is we have chosen to do in this life. But whilst in this shell, enjoying the fruits of our labour, we must remember that these fruits are gifts temporarily given by the Almighty. The Almighty has allowed us to be able to exist in this world.
We must remember that once the “shell” is broken beyond repair, the soul still remains. We want this pure soul to merge with the Super Soul (we want it to go home) and not be doomed by repeating this cycle again. This is our one opportunity to stay connected because we have been blessed with this powerful knowledge. The Avtar Bani explains it as follows:
Pride of body mind wealth
Do rid, to be at Guru’s feet
God you are -searching for
Get in a jiffy – to be replete
Giving the prized – holy gift
Master is the king of kings,
Treasure trove of – mercy,
No dearth for kith and kin!
– Avtar Bani 280
I pray that we all continue to embrace the teachings of the Satguru, who introduced us to this Nirankar, the Almighty Formless. Let us see the Formless everywhere and see the divinity in everyone so that we can experience true contentment. We must keep our soul aligned with Nirankar at all times in order that we can achieve our true purpose in life. Let us live in love and harmony, as per Satguru’s invocation;
Speak sweetly, be humble,
Master teaches us just this
Think of the welfare – of all
Master tutors us, just this!
The Lord’s will – ever obey
Master bids to understand
To ever reunite – each soul,
Divided from God at hand!
– Avtar Bani 314
– Janet Johnson
.
