NEWS BRIEFS

FEBRUARY 2006

Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj's Arrival in India

Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj arrived in India on January 31st, 2006. Despite biting cold and the early morning hour, thousands had gathered to welcome him at Kirpal Ashram in Delhi. As soon as his car entered the ashram grounds, everyone applauded and cheered. The spiritual master began by wishing everyone a happy new year, explaining that with a new year comes new possibilities. He emphasized that our physical and mental well-being depends on our spiritual health and that in order to become spiritually healthy, we need to invert our attention and connect with the divine Light and Sound of God.

15th International Conference on Human Integration

The 15th International Conference on Human Integration, took place from February 4 to 7 at Kirpal Bagh, a large meeting ground near the ashram, and was attended by tens of thousands.

Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj opened the conference the evening of the 4th with a discourse in which he said a wise person is not one who listens and forgets, nor one who listens and speaks, but one who listens and absorbs, embedding the truth of what is heard into the foundation of his or her life. True happiness, he explained, can never be found in this illusionary world. Material wealth and achievements bring further desire and unhappiness in their wake. Only detachment from the world and connection with the Holy Word of God guarantees lasting happiness.

The theme of the second session, held the following day and attended by many religious leaders, was "Meditation for a Peaceful World."

In his opening address, Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj said it is only through meditation on the inner Light and Sound of God that we can achieve true peace and happiness. We are extremely lucky, he explained, to have been granted a human existence, but we are foolishly throwing away this golden opportunity in fruitless outer pursuits. Day and night are passing away as we continue to accumulate more karma. The way to escape the wheel of transmigration is to invert our attention and connect with the Power of God within. This power, called Word, Naam, Shabd, Nad, the Voice of Silence, Udgit, and Kalma in various religious scriptures, will instill within our soul a profound calm, which, in turn, will radiate to those around us. If we all start meditating regularly, peace will flow outwardly from all of us and ultimately the whole world will be transformed into a haven of peace.

The concluding session of the Conference on February 6 commemorated the 112th birth anniversary of Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj. The theme of this session was "Kirpal: The Apostle of Love." Addressing the audience, Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj emphasized that it is important that we live in harmony with each other. We go to different places of worship to find God, he said, but do we really find the Lord there? God exists in the entire creation and resides in our soul; we just need to look within to find Him. This can happen only when our soul becomes full of the love of the Lord and yearns to return to God. In order to do so, he urged, we need to spend time in our spiritual practices and have right understanding, which in turn leads to right thoughts, words, and deeds. Then, we will begin to see the Light of the Lord in all creation. Realizing this truth, he said, we will begin to live in peace with our fellow beings.

For more information about Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj and his schedule, click here.