France - Great Britain
Paris
Sant Kirpal Singh left Italy for France on 7 September, arriving at 11:45 a.m. As usual, many disciples flew in the same plane and many others drove or took the train and were waiting at the airport when Sant Kirpal Singh arrived.
The dear ones gathered in the Conference Hall at the St. James Hotel on the following morning at 9 o'clock. A newcomer asked about Master's promise that He will give an experience at the time of initiation. Sant Kirpal Singh said, "As you have seen just now, many people do get inner experience, which is to be developed more and more."
Many interested persons assembled in the Conference Hall at 4:30 p.m. to hear Sant Kirpal Singh explain the teachings of the Saints. He said we will take up a very important subject, which relates directly to our own self.
Reported by a member of the touring group
The highest mission of a man's life is to know one's Self and to know God. Life does not consist in having possessions. Life consists in just coming into the higher Life, coming in contact with the higher Life or, say, to be enthused with the higher Life within. We are conscious beings; and if this conscious entity, which we have, comes in contact with the All-Consciousness, that will enthuse it with still more consciousness.
How do we stand now? We have, as it were, become the body itself, so much so that we cannot differentiate our Self from the body. So, "Self-knowledge precedes God-knowledge". And for that, it is now a practical subject how to know one's Self, and then our very Self will be able to know or see God.
Sant Kirpal Singh
On 9 September, Sant Kirpal Singh gave a talk at the famous Mosque of Paris at 8:30 p.m. The Director of the Mosque, His Holiness H. Boubakeur, received Sant Kirpal Singh with affection at the main gate and escorted Him to the dais. Welcoming the Master, he said that he was very pleased to have Sant Kirpal Singh among them, and that it was a great honour and event in the history of the Mosque. He said that the Master has been working as a pioneer of modern spirituality for reconciliation, friendship and solidarity of all the world religions.
Rev. Boubakeur said that he had visited Sawan Ashram, Delhi, many years back and that he remembered well the sanctity, spirituality and venerability he found in the Master. He said the Master was welcomed on behalf of muftis, imams, and all others, and that His presence in Paris will give everyone an opportunity to be in contact with one of the greatest poles of modern spirituality.
Sant Kirpal Singh thanked Rev. Boubakeur for his hearty welcome and said, "We are all children of the same God. We all should work together and know our true home – for which we have to work hard. All mankind is just like so many limbs of the body. God is love, and love is innate in our soul, and is the way back to Him. Nanak says, that there is a hidden treasure house in you. Rumi said, that we should search in our own man body, because it is the Kaaba made by God. The Kaaba in Mecca was made by Khalil, but this Kaaba of the man body was made by God. But the pity of it is that we have no experience of God. We must learn to go inside, or 'die daily". Prophet Mohammed says that such a death takes us from darkness to light. God is Light and Sound, Kalam-i-Qadim. If we control our mind, the next step will be entrance in the mansion of our Lord. Temples, mosques, churches, all have been made on the model of the man body. We have to delve deep into it by developing love for God and for all humanity. This will give us a boost to tread within, and will bring in desired results when we go ahead under the guidance of a competent Master."
Rev. Boubakeur showed the Master around the magnificent Mosque, and thanked Him again for His visit before bidding him farewell.
Next day, 10 September, at a public meeting later that night, Sant Kirpal Singh spoke on self-realization and God-realization.
After four days in Paris, the Master was scheduled to visit Great Britain. Many of the dear ones came to the airport to say goodbye, and seven travelled with the Master, who was waiting in the departure lounge at the airport along with all the other passengers. But when the British European Airways (with whom the flight was booked) realized that Sant Kirpal Singh was there, the pilot came to the lounge and personally escorted Him to the plane a few minutes before the other passengers. By this gesture, the airline honoured Sant Kirpal Singh.
London
The plane reached London at 12:30 p.m. on 11 September. On arrival a senior officer of the airline received Sant Kirpal Singh and escorted Him through customs.
The Public Relations officer of the Indian High Commission received the Master and assisted in completing the customs formalities. Then the Master came to the VIP lounge where a large number of disciples, including a number of Indian families with children, were waiting very eagerly for Him. All were smiling. The Master spoke to each one and then was driven to the apartment earmarked for Him during His stay in England. Immediately, many dear ones started coming. A little later the gathering became so big that they were accommodated in two separate rooms. The Master met first with the Indian families and spoke to them in Hindi; then He went to the Western disciples in the second room. He told them how happy He was to be among them after a number of years.
That evening at 6:30 p.m. Sant Kirpal Singh gave a public talk at the packed hall of Polytechnic of Central London. Next day at the Polytechnic Hall questions were invited, and the Master said that nobody should have any reservation in opening their hearts so that all doubts could be removed.
On 12 September, Sant Kirpal Singh spoke again at the Polytechnic Hall, which was full to capacity, at 6:30 p.m.
On 13 September that evening Sant Kirpal Singh spoke at the Chamber of Commerce, Southhall, Middlesex, London, at 6:30 p.m., in Hindi. So many came that all the chairs had to be removed in order to accommodate everybody. The Master gave a beautiful talk on the verse of Guru Ramdas, "Rama ham dasan das karija", and explained its meanings, pointing out that we should derive maximum benefit from the golden opportunity that we had. In the Satsang, Sardar Puran Singh Ji of Jethiwal, India, a Sikh religious leader, came and met the Master.
The London schedule was very crowded, but a day had to be found to visit a disciple who was lying ill far away in the south of Wales and was in much pain. So readjustments were made. It was about a 14-hour drive from London, and the Master set out at 11 a.m.
Reported by a member of the touring group
Mr. Rowlands was the group leader in London. While I was there, I came to know that he was sick in the hospital. I had to travel more than six hundred miles to see him. I spared one day out of that program and went to see him. He said, "I have got terrible pain. I cannot concentrate. No Light, nothing." When you are in terrible pain, it is very difficult to concentrate. So God helped him; he was in peace. The next day he passed away. Had he not been dear to me, why should I have traveled six hundred miles to see one man. Do you see how dear the children are to the mother?
Sant Kirpal Singh
Eastbourne
At the request of the Eastbourne Satsang, Sant Kirpal Singh went there on 14 September by car. Mrs. Margaret Waterfield, the group leader, had arranged lunch for everyone, and about 100 brothers and sisters enjoyed it. Then everyone took a drive to the seashore.
In the evening the Master spoke at the Library Hall. He explained that there is a hidden treasure of divinity in everyone. But how to dig it out is the question.
Reported by a member of the touring group
Masters have been coming from time to time to guide the child humanity back to their homes. We were some time in the lap of God, in our true home, ever since we are separated from there. We have forgotten our home altogether. So Masters come to tell us that there is a God who made all this creation, who is immanent in every form and controlling all creation. We are His children, we are of the same essence as that of God, we should love Him. As He is immanent in every form, He resides in every heart, we should love them, too. If we love God, naturally, when He resides in every heart, we should love everybody.
So whenever they come they bring the religion of love. So Master tells us there is a God. We can also see Him, that God-into-expression-Power of course, when we rise above body-consciousness, when we rise to the tenth door, when we rise above the life of senses.
A great atheist was lying on the death bed. In his room he had written: “God is nowhere.” A child came up. He was reading slowly: “God – is – n-o-w h-e-r-e, God is now here.” And the man on the death bed said: “Yes child, I see, there is some Power overhead.” So we can know, Masters do tell us, there is a God. They may bear testimony to it. And they say, you can also have a contact to enliven it when your inner eye is opened. Or at the time of death, when you withdraw from all outside, leave the nine doors of the body and turn to the back of the eyes, when your eyes are upturned, then you see there is some higher Power controlling us. So He is the life of our own very life.
They bear testimony that they have seen God. Where? In this very manbody. Why do we not see? Because the same mind stands between you and God. Our soul is under the control of mind, mind is under the control of the outgoing faculties, and the outgoing faculties are engaged or absorbed in the enjoyments outside. Enjoyments outside drag like anything all outgoing faculties. So we are under a grand delusion.
What do they tell us? “O soul, this body and this world is not your home! You are a conscious entity.”
So your true home is not the physical body; your true home is the home of the Father which is of all consciousness. This is the mystery that is to be solved while we are in the manbody.
Sant Kirpal Singh
The Rev. James McWhirter, who had been a delegate to the Third World Religions Conference in 1965, came to know that Sant Kirpal Singh was in Eastbourne and attended Satsang. Afterwards he inquired if the West was progressing or deteriorating. The Master made it clear that the West was awakening gradually.
After the talk, the Sant Kirpal Singh drove back to London, reaching there late at night.
Liverpool
Master drove to Liverpool, reaching there at 1 a.m. on the 16th, covering a total of more than 500 miles. Many dear ones were waiting at the Adelphi Hotel, where Master was to stay, to have Darshan before retiring. At 1 p.m. the Master gave a talk at the Liverpool Methodist Church and explained how the mystery of life could be solved.
Reported by a member of the touring group
Birmingham
Sant Kirpal Singh reached Birmingham at about 4 p.m. by car and addressed a large gathering at the Gurdwara Ravidas at 7 p.m. in Punjabi. He took the hymn, "Ram gur paras paras karije", from Gurbani, and explained its correct meaning beautifully. After this, the Master paid a brief visit to a big Sikh Temple and was warmly received by the organizers. After spending the night in the Stathallan Hotel, Birmingham, He left for Bedford on the following morning, 17 September. Many Indian families were waiting to hear Him speak in a school where Satsang had been arranged.
The Master spoke there in Punjabi at 11 a.m. and took up a hymn of Guru Arjan. Then He drove back to London, reaching there at 3:30 p.m.
London
Sant Kirpal Singh gave a talk that evening in the Polytechnic Hall on "Spirituality: What It Is." The hall was full as usual. On 18 September, in the afternoon, on request, He gave another talk in Southall, in Hindi – a digest of spiritual theory, quoting from scriptures to demonstrate that the Surat Shabd Yoga is an age-old science taught by Guru Nanak, Kabir, Tulsi Sahib, Christ, and others. It had a great impact on the listeners.
Sant Kirpal Singh left London for the United States at Heathrow Airport on 19 September. A large number of peoples came to the airport to say goodbye.
