November 9, 2008 (Sirsa): A bhandara celebrating the birth month of Beparwah Shah Mastana Ji Maharaj was held today at Dera Sacha Sauda, Sirsa especially for the sadh-sangat of Punjab. The faithful in large numbers took part in this event. Sant Gurmeet Ram-Rahim Singh Ji Insan in his discourse during the satsang threw extensive light on the philanthropic life of Beparwah Shah Mastana Ji Maharaj. Guruji talked of the unique and miraculous ways in which Mastana Ji connected people with Ram Naam. On the occasion, Guruji invited each devotee to plant 20 trees during the holy birth month. After the satsang, Guruji gave Naam Deeksha to 1,618 people.
Of note, Shah Mastana Ji incarnated on the Karthik Poornima day in 1891 in the village of Kotra in Balochistan, Pakistan, and November is celebrated by the sadh-sangat of Dera Sacha Sauda as the birth month of Mastana Ji.
These are excerpts from Guruji’s discourse during the satsang:
Shah Mastana Ji made people from different religions sit together and sing the praises of God. Saints come into this world sent by God. They teach people to take the Name of God and they teach them the lesson of humanity. When sin enters man, it can be removed only by a true saint. In today’s terrible degenerate age man likes what his mind tells him more than what the Guru teaches. This in spite of the fact that the Guru has no selfish motive behind the things that he says. Every word and action of the Guru is for the welfare of all. Saints connect man with God by giving him Naam Daan and they rid him of his bad ways. This is the duty of saints. Thus it was that Mastana Ji came into this world and sowed the seed of Sacha Sauda, the fragrance of which is now spreading throughout the world and giving new life to humanity. This is not a small achievement. Today’s is a terrible age in which the right hand is feeding on the left. The love of today’s man is driven by selfish motives, while the love of Allah-Ram-Malik is selfless. Fortunate is the soul that comes seeking that love. The love of God gives man that strength by which the individual soul while living in this world crosses great spiritual realms and becomes worthy of God’s grace.
When the weather is foggy, one is unable to see clearly and this makes one anxious. But when the sun comes out, the fog disappears like it never existed in the first place. Similarly, in the Kaliyug the fog of crime and sin envelopes the world, but when the saint comes and lights the lamp of knowledge, all the fog disappears in a moment and man turns away from sin. Man receives that strength which cannot be obtained by spending crores of rupees. When man does selfless service and meditation, saints bless him with great peace of mind and bliss. Those who live the teachings of saints are delivered, while those who pretend never find peace.
Shah Mastana Ji used to first practice and only then preach. Many times he used to take only liquid food during his spiritual practices and he used to advice his companions to do the same to obtain God’s grace. Those who accepted his advice and applied them were delivered. Mastana Ji established Sacha Sauda in 1948 in the form of a hut with a fence made of thorny bushes. During the construction of the ashram many snakes and scorpions surfaced from the earth. The volunteers would catch them and take them to Mastana Ji. He would tell them that the creatures would not harm them if they did not harm the creatures. He would instruct them to catch them and leave them at a distant place. This practice of nonviolence is still followed at Dera Sacha Sauda, where even poisonous cobras when spotted are caught and left unhurt in distant jungles.
Shah Mastana Ji used to build many structures and then have them demolished. Many beautiful gates, clock towers, etc would be built like this and he would then ask the volunteers what they thought of it. When they would say that it was beautiful, he would say, “Is that so? Bring it down. We’ll build another one.” The bricks would then be collected and stored at a place. The same bricks would then be used to build many other structures, but the pile of leftover bricks would still remain. The volunteers would be surprised by this and would ask Mastana Ji, “Sir, how come we still have bricks left over?” Mastana Ji would reply that the bricks of Sacha Sauda are giving birth. This happens even today. When volunteers serve here they see this happening through the grace of the Satguru. And this happens not only to bricks but even to the flood relief material that is sent for the needy from here. Volunteers report seeing it increase in quantity. This is the power of the words of saints. If saints say so, even stones can give birth. This fact was demonstrated by Mastana Ji many a time. Those who abided by his teachings were never in want of anything.
During the early days, the sangat used to be less. One time the ration seemed insufficient for an unusually large gathering, so the cook informed Shah Mastana Ji of this. Mastana Ji instructed the cook to take the rations through a curtain and to keep cooking, and he assured him that the treasure of Sacha Sauda would never deplete. The cook did as he was told. After the whole sangat had finished eating, when the cook removed the curtain he saw that the quantity of the rations was the same as it had been before. Even today many satsangis experience such things. These are facts, whether you call them miracles or the grace of the Satguru.
Can life be bought with money? If not, then for someone whose death-like karma was rendered void, how can he not believe in Allah-Waheguru-Ram? Will he stop worshipping God if someone asks him to? If he stops, then woe to him, and woe to the mother who gave birth to such a traitor. God showers his grace on all, but those are fortunate ones who trust in His grace. In today’s terrible age people believe easily in falsehoods, but even though throughout their lives saints tell the truth and their teachings remain even after their death, people do not trust them. It is important to apply the knowledge that you receive. If you do not get happiness even after walking on the path shown by saints, then you can call them liars; but if you do not abide by their teachings and you are caught up in sorrow and misery, then it is you who are wholly responsible for it.
In today’s age people create rifts among others and have fun watching them quarrel. Stay away from such people. Abandon the company of bad people even if they are your own. He who lends you a hand in selfless work is your own. If someone does not help you in those deeds that lead to your salvation, then even if he is related to you, he is not your own.
It was to teach these things that Shah Mastana Ji incarnated on this earth. Those who listened to his teachings and abided by them, their homes which were earlier hells became heavens and they received the happiness of both worlds. Mastana Ji still gives away such riches and will always do so.
Slander is greatly prevalent today even in the satsang. In the satsang one is supposed to listen to the words of the saints and the matter ends there. But the spinning wheel of the mind, the devil, is always yarning slander. Those who slander they eat dirt like the pig, because with their mouths they talk dirty about others. So if God has made you a man, remain a man. All saints and seers have said that it is wrong to talk ill of others. So why do you leave good things and pick dirt? Those who sit in bad company, those who slander, they do not like the satsang and the words of saints. Do not trust such people. If you trust those who themselves are blind, you will drown. The whole clans of the Kauravas and Kans were ruined because of slander. This is why the scriptures emphatically say that one must not talk ill of others. The society does not respect he who slanders.
This is what Shah Mastana Ji taught. As much as you can, do the deeds that aid in salvation, do selfless service, and practice meditation. Do not talk ill of others. Do not become yes-men to those who slander, and do not even allow the shadow of such people to fall upon you. If you chant the Name of God, your families will find happiness. If you take even one step towards God, God will walk a thousand steps towards you.
