The Look of Love

Lyrical Glances from the Masters

Irene and Param Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj

Florida, 1972

O my companion, the Beloved shot an arrow that has pierced me through.

The fire of longing is burning in my heart and my whole body is in torment.

My roving mind cannot stir, fettered in the chains of love.

(Mirabai)

-1-

Introduction

There are currently many popular meditation teachers and many spiritual paths. There are also

many reasons for adopting a meditation practice and seeking a spiritual teacher.

Two forms of secular meditation popular with the general public today are Transcendental

Meditation, a form of mantra meditation, and mindfulness meditation, defined as “moment to

moment non-judgmental awareness.” Both these systems have been found to increase the body’s

ability to heal and shift from a tendency to use the right prefrontal cortex instead of the left

prefrontal cortex, associated with a trend away from depression and anxiety, and towards

happiness, relaxation, and emotional balance.

Many spiritual traditions offer the practitioner a means to attain inner peace, and satisfy their

spiritual hunger. Joseph Goldstein divides these systems into two broad categories: “All

meditation systems either aim for One or Zero - union with God or emptiness. The path to the

One is through concentration on Him, to the Zero is insight into the voidness of one’s mind.”

Buddhism, including the popular Zen and Tibetan Buddhism, is an example of the “God without

form” version of meditation. Sufism, Hinduism, and Christian Centering Prayer are examples of

devotional, God with form practices.

Among the many who have adopted a meditation practice, there are those special individuals

who have felt a spiritual hunger and desire more from their practice than worldly success, health

and happiness. They have felt the call of God, and have responded by seeking a path that aims at

nothing less than union with God, union with the Beloved. These spiritual pilgrims have

embarked upon the most difficult and most rewarding adventure possible to humans.

To fall in love with God is the greatest of all romances;

to seek Him, the greatest adventure;

to find Him, the greatest human achievement.

(Saint Augustine)

The most fortunate of the fortunate have been selected to join those select few who have been

initiated into the Path of the Masters, also known as Sant Mat and Surat Shabd Yoga. This is the

science of meditation on the inner Light and Sound.

The uniqueness of this Path lies in the role of the spiritual teacher. Only one commissioned by

God is capable of opening the initiate’s inner eye to see the Light of God and inner ear to hear

the Sound Current, the Music of the Spheres, the voice of God referred to in the Bible as the

“Word.” This is the Royal Road leading back to God.

The writings and stories that follow shed light on one particular aspect of the grace of the Master,

the experience and benefit of darshan, the act of receiving the loving glance of the Master.

The stories are told by ordinary people who were destined to receive an extraordinary gift –

eye-to-eye contact with a God-intoxicated, self-actualized, Son of God. No one receiving this

Godly gift is ever likely to forget it!

There are times when a human being, though perhaps not remarkable in himself,

encounters some extraordinary person that infuses his life with great meaning.

-2-

What is True Darshan? Sant Kirpal Singh

(Excerpts from a heart-to-heart talk given by the Master in Boston on October 15, 1972)

The word darshan means literally “seeing.”…But “seeing” means when you and the other

become one, through the eyes. Eyes are the windows of the soul, through which soul peeps out,

radiates, with whatever intoxication it has. So, “seeing” means to be quite cut off from all

outside; you forget everybody else, no attention anywhere. Whole attention is seeing; where?

Into the eyes, which are the windows of the soul. And if you are receptive, you’ll have that.

So there is radiation of each man, I think. Those who are developed in a certain way, they have

got radiation that way. And the word darshan, using the terminology of the Saints, is when two

become one. No duality remains. You are not even aware of your own body. This is the point:

you are a conscious entity; and the other is more conscious. So you will get more consciousness.

It is the plate – now I use the word “plate” – on which you can have the Bread of Life and the

Water of Life. So as I told you, Word is made flesh; and the Word is radiated through the eyes,

which are the windows of the soul. If you look into it, intently, minutely, so much so that you

forget yourself, you can eat more of the Bread of Life.

Christ said, “I am the Bread of Life that is come down from heaven. Whosoever shall partake of

it shall have everlasting life.” And later on, he said, “Eat me and drink me.” Eating and drinking

comes how? By developing receptivity.

This is the true meaning of darshan. You can have suchlike bliss for a short period; that will

give you more than you might expect in your meditation: there you will come in contact with the

Light and Sound Principle, but here you will have by radiation – a boost, you see.

So darshan is one word; another is pershan, which is also used in the East. Pershan means “by

seeing, go and be absorbed into it.” Then comes the word harshan – I’m just quoting further.

Then you become like a field that has been watered – quite fresh, quite jolly, quite peaceful.

When water is given to the fields it is just like harshan. So darshan does not mean only “seeing”;

darshan means pershan, too. And pershan means harshan, also.

So darshan helps a good deal; it is a sort of boost, an incentive. And I’ve seen men who, by

“seeing,” withdrew altogether. That is truly darshan – when you don’t remain aware of the body,

whether your eyes are open or closed. You invert, you rise above, you are in a state of conscious

Samadhi. The ultimate goal of darshan is that. Not simply sitting by him while the mind revels

outside; that is no darshan. Or you judging whether he has good clothes on or bad clothes on;

not that. You have to rise above body consciousness and also see him above body consciousness

too. That “seeing” will come through the eyes. In that case you do get more, because you give

more; and it will help you in your meditation, too. Have darshan and in that darshan be

absorbed. (Sat Sandesh, July 1973)

Life and Light can come only from the Living-impulse of a Master Saint,

whose glance of grace is more than enough to quicken higher life in the disciple.

(Sant Kirpal Singh, ruhanisatsangusa.org/swii/intro.htm)

-3-

Lyrical Glances Sant Darshan Singh Ji

Excerpts from The Secret of Secrets

Unless the Master behaves as one of us, how are we going to have love for him, real love?

Without real love we cannot follow his commandments. We all imagine that we have love for

God. That is more imagination than actual practice. If somebody is sitting on a high pedestal,

you can have reverence for him. You might have admiration for him, but you cannot love him.

You can only love someone you see when he is at your own level.

When the Master draws us to himself he talks directly to us, he fills our whole being with his

compassion and beauty. He drenches us with his love glances. We bathe in his luminous eyes

and become cleansed.

This is how we begin to love the Master. That love is pure; it sanctifies us. It is this love that

helps to develop our inner growth. Our devotion to the Master, our contact with the Master,

deepens our receptivity as he gradually lifts us up to his level. This is the love which draws us

above the physical body into higher consciousness.

With one glance, one lyrical glance from a perfect Master, he can send our soul flying upward to

its eternal home, Sach Khand.

The Master pours out his blessings through his eyes. These glances are termed lyrical glances,

but our humble response, our looking into the Master’s eyes, can only be termed wistful looks.

We cannot give him lyrical glances; we can only gaze into his eyes. The action is the same but

the phraseology is different. His are the life-giving glances. He gives a boost through his

glances. We just look wistfully into his eyes, longing, hoping to receive something from him…

We gaze into the Master’s eyes lovingly, intently, sweetly, whereas if it is his divine will he may

bless us with his love-laden glances.

One such glance can change the entire course of our lives.

If we are receptive when looking into the Master’s eyes, we not only forget ourselves completely

but are lost to ourselves. We are forgetful of everything, and oblivious to everyone…When you

look into his eyes, and get absorbed into his eyes, you become a perfect eye yourself. Your

entire being should become an eye.

If we are lucky enough to be in the physical presence of the Master we always try to look into his

eyes. If he chooses to give us something, our job is done. Such power comes through his eyes,

that one glance can transport us to our eternal Home.

Once at Dera Baba Jaimal Singh in Beas, some people were looking through the records to add

up how many souls had received Naam initiation from Hazur Baba Sawan Singh. Our Beloved

Master, Sant Kirpal Singh, smiled; he said, “These records only list those who have been

formally initiated through the Master’s words. What about the many more who have received

that grace through the Master’s eyes?” You see, there can never be any records kept which

include the countless numbers who benefit through the Master’s lyrical glances.

-4-

…Saints have spoken of the unparalleled benefit and grace which can only be had by gazing into

the eyes of a living Master. Of course, with receptivity, a disciple can progress, as Kabir has said,

even when he is separated from the Master by the seven seas. But there is nothing quite as

wondrous as gazing into the eyes of the Beloved. It is by far the quickest and easiest way to

progress on the spiritual Path. It gives a boost to our spiritual practices. It cuts us free from time

and space. It helps us surrender to his glorious lotus feet. And in that state, if we get one lyrical

glance from him – just one – all our toils will cease; our soul will soar back Home.

Sant Darshan Singh Ji Maharaj

When you look to anybody, fully receptive, even forgetting yourself - that is darshan.

Such like darshan gives you more effect, more charging than hundreds of meditations.

In Punjabi there are two words: one is to do darshan, and one is to be absorbed in darshan,

pershan. So become receptive and when you look, you'll forget all outer forms.

Eyes speak to eyes. That is, one lyrical glance of a God-intoxicated man

will give you more effect than hundreds of meditations.

(Sant Kirpal Singh,.ruhanisatsangusa.org/lok/heard.htm)

Sitting close to the human body where God is manifest, even for a short time, will give you

quicker results. That is why Satsang, or the company of a Saint, is talked of very highly in all

scriptures. The process is quickened by radiation. The same God Power is within you but is not

awakened. It will be awakened at the time of Initiation and further, it will be given a boost by

the radiation from the Master. That is why it is said that one lyrical glance from a Saint that is

radiated to your soul from outside can bring you up into your own self and you will see the Light

of God within you. So one grace pouring glance from a Master is sufficient for us.

That will give a boost.

(Sant Kirpal Singh, ruhanisatsangusa.org/mt/receptivity2.htm)

-5-

Stories of Lyrical Glances

Hazur Baba Sawan Singh Ji Maharaj

Once Hazur visited the city of Rawalpindi (now in Pakistan). While the train on which Hazur

was returning from Rawalpindi was still standing in the railway station, an old Muslim man was

buying grapes on the platform nearby. The Muslim happened to look up while paying for his

grapes and he saw the radiant face and the snow white beard of the Master sitting in the train.

He marveled and exclaimed, “Heaven! Heaven! What a light of God!

In his desire to be closer, he was drawn immediately to the side of the railway car, and

addressing Hazur through the window, he said “Please accept these grapes, Maharaj Ji.”

The Master smiled at him and merely touched the proffered grapes, saying, “Oh, I have gotten

them.” In the same moment the conductor whistled for the engineer to start the train, and the old

Muslim had to jump clear of the moving train. This was their first and only meeting.

The old man returned to his home village of Mataur. He caused quite a stir of interest among his

family members and friends by recounting to them the deep impressions that he had felt when he

had seen and spoken to such a radiant personality so briefly in Rawalpindi. He was positive that

he had never before seen or heard of the like of such a man in all the world.

It so happened, that Mr. Parmanand and a Sardar Balwant Singh and some other initiates of Baba

Sawan Singh also lived in the same village. Upon hearing the account of the old Muslim, S.

Balwant Singh inquired of him as to whether he might have seen “Guru Maharaj.” The old

Muslim was puzzled by the reference until he was shown a picture of Hazur. When he saw the

picture, he immediately acknowledged, “This is the one I saw!”

About a year later, the old Muslim was stricken and about to die. He sent for S. Balwant Singh,

and told him, “Your Master has come, and he tells me that he will take me.” He had seen and

spoken to Hazur only once; yet his soul was taken care of by the Master at the time of death. (Sat Sandesh, July 1973)

-6-

The Great Master was traveling on the express “Frontier Mail” train, which goes at least 40 miles

per hour between stops. Along the right of way there happened to be a man riding a camel. This

camel rider looked up at the passing train just in time to see Hazur looking out of the window of

his compartment! Who can say what passed between them during this instant?

Death came to this man after four years had passed; and he said, “The brilliant and radiant form

of Hazur has come. I saw His reflection once before in a passing train.” So, even a glance from

a perfect Master cannot leave you unaffected. (Sat Sandesh, July 1973)

Once at the Dera, He [Sant Kirpal Singh] would be so lost, so taken up with His Master, that He

would lose all sense of whether His clothes were clean or not, neat or torn, or whether His hair

was tidy. He would often put His shoes at one place and later be looking for them at another.

I once remarked, “Bhapa Ji, if women get lost like this, it is pardonable; but you, you should not

be in this condition! What is wrong with you?” He looked to me, and said, “Bibi Ji, I do not

know; when I reach the railway station here, it is as though I have lost half my senses, and when

I arrive at the Dera I lose the remaining half. When I look into His eyes, there is magic: I am

simply lost.” (Bibi Lajwanti)

Hazur had the competency to extricate us from the meshes of mind and matter

and to lift our souls above body consciousness even by a mere glance of His grace.

Swami Ji says, Only the All-Powerful Master can pull the soul up.

(Sant Kirpal Singh,ruhanisatsangusa.org/satsangi.htm)

-7-

Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj

His eyes passed over me a few times tonight and each time it was as if I was shot with love and

attention. It was so crowded that we were jammed together with our knees folded up to our

chests - but it didn't matter; we were where we wanted to be.

Later, MASTER CAME OUT! He was in a very loving, informal mood. When He gives

informal darshans to small groups, He gets very jocular and swings from side to side as He walks,

like a perfect, living Santa Claus. He walked slowly down the hall lined with people, looking at

almost each one of us directly in the eyes.

When He got to me, He looked at me quickly. Someone suddenly flashed a picture with a flash

bulb and Master turned around to say, chuckling, "Don't do that, I can't see, I want to see you,"

and then turned back around and stared at me eyes-to-eyes, heart-to-heart.

I can't even begin to describe that moment at all. I felt so joyful that I wanted to weep. But it

was beyond weeping, beyond joy. I stood there in awe with my eyes and mouth wide open. I

felt my eyes starting to shake and realized that they were open about two inches wide. Master

stopped at the other end of the hall, and we all filed past Him to say goodnight.

All the way home, I only saw His eyes, every where, on everything, in the sky. I wanted to tell

Andre about it, but there were no words at all. Like they say in an old Indian scripture--"lf all

the mountains were pounded into pens and all the oceans made into ink - even then I could not

write all the glory of my Master.” (Suzanne Tassencourt, Sat Sandesh, 12/74)

-8-

My first meeting with Master Kirpal Singh was the most unforgettable experience of my life. In

the fall of 1972, Master was arriving in the United States for his third world tour. I waited at

Dulles airport in Washing D. C.with hundreds of other devotees. We formed two long lines in a

special section of the airport reserved for us.

After waiting awhile in great anticipation, suddenly there was an audible gasp as Master became

visible. Imagine the scene as hundreds of devotees, seeing their beloved Master for the first

time, spontaneously uttered sounds of awe and amazement. He walked slowly between the lines,

alternately greeting awestruck devotees. I was midway down the aisle, straining to get a look.

People at the front of the line were crying loudly. After greeting the Master, people milled

around in a state resembling shock. The emotion in the room, and my own excited anticipation,

made my heart race like never before.

Finally, Master approached where I stood in line. I remember him initially having his back to

where I was standing. He was greeting those on the opposite line. Slowly he turned and faced

me. We looked deeply into each other's eyes for a moment, and then he was gone.

I turned away breathing heavily and crying uncontrollably. Tears of love were flowing from my

eyes. One moment earlier I had been standing there fully composed, full of anticipation, very

excited yet in control. The next moment after meeting him, I lost all my composure. I had never

experienced anything remotely like it.

Everything had happened so quickly, yet I can remember it all as if it were yesterday.

Something magical happened in that instant of our meeting. In that moment the world stood still,

and he changed my life forever. He created a longing and pining that I cherish more than

anything.

I remember being awed by his beauty and his power. His face was unlike anything I had ever

seen. Even though I had seen numerous pictures of him, I was totally unprepared for the extent

of his beauty. It seems strange calling a seventy-eight year old man beautiful, but that is the

most accurate description I can find. He was simply the most beautiful sight I had ever seen.

His radiation was overwhelming. Love poured from his eyes and surrounded his body. He was

this huge magnetic mountain of love, and we were helpless shavings of metal in his presence.

He was everything I had hoped he would be and a million times more. (Bill Petix, Sat Sandesh, 7,8/09)

-9-

To be in the blessed physical presence of the Living Master is indeed to drink the pure Nectar of

Spirituality at its very source. No one who was present during that early January can ever forget

those extraordinary silent darshans when the Master seemed, for a time, to let us have a glimpse

of Himself - a rare gift of pure Grace. The room became immensely charged; no one spoke, and

the Master simply sat and looked at His children. At such times the soul is lifted out of the body

and given illumination and bliss beyond compare, beyond expression.

We came before Him hungry for His glances. The air would become permeated with love at His

approach till it overflowed like wine. And then He sat before us explaining the mystery of Life

and death, and the tale of Love began to play in our hearts.

His eyes were a magic bridge where the timeless peered out on time. All sickness and cares

were soon forgotten (or else when they rose pitifully and poignantly before us, the heart wished

nothing but that pristine purity that shone in all glory before us). In that enchantment the world

would fall away and there was only the Beloved there.

Would that something could be said of those eyes that danced before us or the beauty that

ravished our hearts. (Michael Rayson, Sat Sandesh, 1/72)

At one evening Darshan, I asked Master about the power of grace. He gave a beautiful discourse

on the subject for nearly twenty minutes, never taking His eyes off me. This demonstration of

grace for one who was so unworthy of His Blessings was a lesson I have never forgotten. I was

bathed in His glances of love and as I gazed into His deep blue eyes, His whole form began to

glow with a beautiful white radiance, all Light and Love. (Virginia Vidich)

-10-

I came to Master not by accident nor by chance but by a magnet of love that I felt from His

glance. Meeting Master Kirpal Singh could be described as meeting the purest form of Light and

Love. To look into His eyes was like looking at a thousand blazing suns that let me know that I

was undone, that I was in the presence of the Holy One. (Joseph E. Newman)

Whether meeting him one-on-one or in huge throngs, practically everyone experienced an

unforgettable loving power emitting from his eyes. Even if that glance lasted no longer than a

flash, it seared deep into the psyche. Many, upon seeing him for the first time, would start

quaking in their shoes and burst into tears, including those who had forgotten how. His glances

would run the gamut of father-stern to mother-tender in the blink of an eye, yet shining through

the mask was an immutable theocentric, consciousness-raising Light. Like the Masters of

ancient time, Sant Kirpal Singh was one with the heart of Light. (Aaran Stephens, Moth and the Flame)

That one glance of grace to receptive souls from the God-intoxicated eyes of the Master has been

enough to change many lives, for it is in those eyes that we see God, and the soul is touched. (Sharleene Sherwin (9/72))

-11-

Sant Darshan Singh Ji Maharaj

I often visited India in the early days of Sant Darshan’s mission and attended many large-scale

events. One particular event, however, not only captivated me personally but gave me a glimpse

into the irresistible humanity of this saint.

Once, while Sant Darshan Singh was sitting in front of a crowd of over ten thousand people, he

abruptly walked off the stage. He moved stealthily through the immense crowd to a man who

was being held against his will at the back of the congregation. Incoherent and ranting wildly,

the man’s presence threatened the peace and tranquility of the near pin-drop silence of the

gathering. Sant Darshan Singh approached the two security guards who held him forcibly, and

instructed them to release the struggling man immediately. The guards cautioned the Master that

he was out of control and threatened his safety. But Sant Darshan insisted, so they released him.

As he held the man gently yet firmly on the arm, Sant Darshan told him, “Look into my eyes.”

Within minutes the man’s violent movements subsided and he started to calm down. Sant

Darshan requested a cup of water and then gently fed the man himself. Only five or ten minutes

had passed, but the once raving man had now calmed down completely. As the man continued

to gaze into Sant Darshan’s eyes, his face went through a miraculous transformation. The frenzy

and fear departed and a new serenity now radiated from his face. (Andrew Vidich, Light upon Light)

For the first time in my life, I now know experientially what Master Kirpal meant when he talked

of rising above body consciousness. There are so many facets to Master Darshan’s personality.

Sometimes he is like a child. Sometimes he seems like a giant, all magnificent and beautiful.

Last night when he called me in, I began looking into his eyes. They turned golden and bright

Light shone from his face. (Ratana, Moth & the Flame)

-12-

Wherever he went, Master Darshan was in a state of gracious surrender, like an innocent child.

His manner was kind, patient, and compassionate with all. A distinct jasmine-lilac fragrance

emanated from his body at all times, for I had the privilege to be constantly close by his side, and

I’d just direct and introduce him to the many whom had either been bereft of such physical

presence since Master Kirpal left the body nine years earlier, or those whom had never met a

Master in the flesh.

His attention was like a ray beam, and as I guided his elbow to this or that person in the crowd,

love and light flowed out from his eyes and countenance. He was ever bowing slightly, hands

prayerfully joined, while ecstatic recipients would bow back, never taking their eyes from his. In

the process, he passed kind and insightful comments to those in his path. In his unitive state, all

were brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, daughters, and sons. No purer love could be found in the

world.(Aaran Stephens, Moth & the Flame)

On the eve of my departure, Sevadars enter the Master’s room and their leader speaks, ‘Maharaj

Ji? Shashi Bhenji is lying unconscious out in the courtyard.’ Shashi is a school teacher and

librarian who performs a great deal of selfless service around the ashram.

Master asks if I would like to come along. He holds my hand like a father would a little boy and

descends the stairs to an awaiting crowd. One woman in the crowd has been standing for several

hours, yearning for a glance. When he gives it, her soul immediately leaves the body for higher

planes. Someone catches her limp form before it falls to the pavement! Her soul will return after

an hour or two.

He leads me between the langar and meditation hall, out into the large open area where, four and

a half hours earlier, his discourse on ‘Spiritual Surrender’ had captivated thousands. Shashi lies

flat-out on the ground before the dais, surrounded by several women watching over her. Master

rubs her forehead, and trickles water on her face. After some minutes pass, life-currents begin to

return and an unearthly wail emits from her mouth. When Sashi’s eyes open and recognize the

Master by her side, she wastes no time begging him to allow her soul to be returned to the higher

regions again. Master demurs, for she has work to do. With a curious smile he comments to me,

‘You see, just yesterday, Shashi complained to me that while others are blessed with higher

experiences, she doesn’t see the Master’s radiant form or much else in meditation.’ He sweetly

laughs, ‘Now see her state!’ For such an outcome, a complaint may be justified! (Aaran Stephens, Moth & the Flame)

Aaran Stephens states: “I’ll conclude this endless tale [Moth & the Flame] with the young

American Sufi, Jaami Travis, a student of Reshad Field, who spoke so eloquently of his meeting

with Darshan”:

The time spent with the Sufis served me well. On the eve of initiation I beheld the Beloved in

the love-drenched eyes of the living Master, Darshan Singh. As I gazed into his eyes, he became

transfigured and radiant with light. He possessed such a beauty that I can never forget that

evening, for truly I beheld the glory of God...My eyes will not turn from your face and I ask

nothing of you but your beauty. Your perfume intoxicates me and I swoon from it. Truly you are

Hu Dost, Friend of God. (Jaami Travis, Moth & the Flame)

-13-

“At the time of our first midnight meeting, there were six people present besides the Master.

However it was I who had come to probe and question and so the evening became a conversation

primarily between Sant Darshan Singh and myself [Neal Tessler].

“After around an hour had passed, I became aware of an energy like a spray coming from the

Master and striking me in the eyes. I felt it washing over my face, head, and gradually my body,

like an ethereal shower. I experienced a kind of giddiness which passed into a steadily

increasing state of intoxication. In this condition I lost all reservation, all propriety. I asked

whatever wild questions and expressed whatever heartfelt emotions came to my mind—primarily

my incredible embarrassment for how terribly I had misjudged him.

“The unconditional, enveloping warmth, the unfailing graciousness from the moment of my

introduction to my departure from the gates of Kirpal Ashram, the depth and breadth of his

words and his way, affected me very deeply. Combined with a palpable, undeniable

transmission of spiritual energy from his eyes into mine, I was left in a state akin to shock and

was unable to sleep for the entire flight home.”

Darryl Verville, a gifted classical pianist, was present at this session. Just the day before, Darryl

himself had received a powerful spiritual experience that convinced him that Darshan was the

genuine article. He comments:

“Neil, being the intellectual type, asked many involved questions of the Master, and not only

were the responses exquisite, but he was pouring a lot of loving grace and attention on Neil.

After a couple of hours of this, there was complete silence. Then I saw an amazing laser-like

beam of blue light steadily passing from Master’s eyes into Neil’s. This continued for several

intense, heart-stopping minutes.”

Much later, Neil continues the saga:

“I next saw Darryl about two years later at the home of a mutual friend. He shared with me his

experience of seeing rays of blue light passing from the Master’s eyes into mine. I then shared

with him my own experience of that which he had actually seen but which I had felt physically

and emotionally. This was a remarkable affirmation for both of us of the objective reality of the

experience.

“On reflection, I would also say that to my small cup, it was a sublime affirmation of the

importance placed by Sant Kirpal Singh, and all the Saints, on spiritual transmission through the

eyes. As he so beautifully expressed, ‘The intoxication of that glance is still the life of my soul.’” (Neal Tessler, Moth & the Flame)

For You, it is only a question of a single glance;

For me, it is my entire existence.

(Quoted in Moth & the Flame)

-14-

From childhood I had a strong desire to find God. As a small child I promised myself

that one day I would meet God and I would put my arms around Him,

and He would also hold me tight and I would say,

“Hello God, who are you?”

(Bachan Singh)

Once they are fixed upon the Master my thirsty eyes do not waver.

They drink in every atom of His body, ranging with anxious longing from head to toe.

(Mirabai)

-15-

Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj

When Master climbs the dais in the sanctuary and folds his hands to give darshan to everyone in

the room, I can see him showering fire-like rays of sparkling light over the entire congregation.

As he glances at each one of us, the light soars from his eyes in a constant dance of joy. The

light streaks out, seeking person after person. This light enraptures my soul, binding me to the

warm peace of the Master. Sometimes the light appears to form a rope of scintillating love from

the Master to the disciple and back again. As Master’s gaze of love sweeps the room, the

sparkles coalesce into stronger bonds of love that no longer dance throughout the sanctuary but

settle around us in bundles of light. This light lasts even when darshan is over. When the living

Master is not in the room, I observe light dancing around the pews, up near the ceiling,

everywhere in the sanctuary. Just as I may see past Masters occupy the pews and stroll the aisles

when there is room to do so, the light seems to joyously express Master Rajinder’s love in the

place he has given us to meditate.

When Master sits down and begins his talk, additional manifestations of light come through his

eyes. His eyes are brown, yet so much blue, golden, and white light pours through these eyes

that they appear either blue or as total light. At times this light is so bright that Master’s features

recede into it, paradoxically creating a clearer picture of godhood. By Master’s grace, I often

feel and see the light he is directing toward me. It is like a thick rope of love coming directly

into my third eye area, exuberantly pulling and tugging me to come to the Master. The purity

and clarity of this love transcends anything I can ever send back to him. I have no way to return

the magnitude of his love, so I just sit there silently saying, “Thank you, thank you,” while the

talk goes on. (Ellen Nardiello)

-16-

I remember that the meeting room in the hotel was filled, so we took the last seats in the back

row. When Maharaj Ji arrived through a back door, we received his first darshan. Then he went

to the front and sat in a large chair. From the moment I received his darshan, I was “gone.” For

the next two hours I did not hear a word he said. I simply sat there with tears streaming down

my face. It was as if I had been transported to another realm. (Prativ, Peter, Patel)

I went directly to Kirpal Ashram and waited to see Maharaj Ji, who was expected shortly. While

standing in the back of the crowd, I watched as he came out of his residence and looked around

at everyone. His eyes turned in my direction for about two or three seconds, and I was

overwhelmed with the power of his nazar (glance). A wave of bright light hit me in an instant –

something like lightning. The light came directly from his eyes, straight toward me. The

feelings generated in that one instant were indescribable ecstasy, peace, and love – all together

from this one glance. (Umesh Bhatia)

…Maharaj Ji visited Malaysia. During one of the public talks, my mind was causing me trouble.

I started looking at Master Rajinder on the dais, asking for his help and blessings. As he turned

his face in my direction, I saw beautiful light pouring from his eyes, like brilliant stars, moving

directly into my eyes. My whole body vibrated from that glance, and I broke down in tears. (Rajeswari Rethinam)

My friend, He looked, and our eyes met; an arrow came in.

My chest opened; what could it do? His image moved inside.

I’ve been standing all morning in the door of my house,

looking down the road. The One I love is an herb

growing in secret places, an herb that heals all wounds.

(Mirabai)

-17-

At a recent holiday program with Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj, I was thrilled to watch the

unfolding of love between the Master Power and a soul at the hotel. How perfectly the Master

orchestrated the timing, the circumstances – everything!

Leaving my seat in the hotel ballroom, a room now filled with a thousand people, I set out in

search of a better vantage point from where I could view the Master. As I gazed from my

newfound location in the hallway through the open door, two young women, hotel employees

dressed in their black tuxedo uniforms, approached me. Pointing into the ballroom at Sant

Rajinder Singh Ji, one emphatically exclaimed that she needed to speak with the Master. I know

very few words in Spanish, and she knew little English, but due to her determination and with

the help of her friend, we pieced together adequate communication.

“I need to talk to him tonight!” she insisted.

It seems the Master had previously moved through the crowds, giving his darshan, and had

looked into her eyes. She was perplexed. “His eyes have no color?”

“They are brown,” I said.

She remained adamant about speaking with him. I realized now that something of a higher

nature had passed from the Master’s eyes into her soul, and most likely “no color” referred to the

light.

I told her, “God’s love pours through the eyes of the Master.”

I asked her to wait while I got a Spanish-speaking person to help. She told me she had to return

to work in the kitchen but to meet her the following day, same time, in the same spot. She and

her friend hurried off, disappearing through the doors to the kitchen.

Who could predict what might transpire between now and the next day that might prevent this

woman from fulfilling her desire to meet the Master? I navigated my way through the sea of

people in the ballroom and located Carlos, a representative from the Spanish-speaking satsang. I

knew he would help.

Carlos and I entered the hotel’s kitchen doors and found the young woman. I understood the gist

of their conversation and watched as she demonstrated how the Master had looked into her eyes

and how she was taken aback by the experience. Why had such a thing happened, she wanted to

know.

“The Master is great, very great!” said Carlos.

How urgently she wanted to meet the Master, yet how in the world could her desire be fulfilled?

I could not imagine. Everyone there cherished the same hope. Sant Rajinder Singh Ji’s mission

had grown so large, and he was so busy. I was stunned as I watched the following unfold:

We three exited the kitchen doors into the hallway. At that exact moment, Sant Rajinder Singh

Ji himself entered the hallway from a door perpendicular to the kitchen doors. There he stood,

two feet in front of us.

“Master,” said Carlos, “I’d like you to meet Olga. She saw you earlier.”

-18-

With his hands held together, Master said that it was a pleasure to meet her, and his eyes

delivered his godly lion-like gaze, a gaze which he held for some time. Olga did not speak. At

that point, I do not believe she could. The Master was hurried along by the person escorting him

through the crowds, but he turned back toward the young woman and continued pouring forth his

powerful darshan. He was whisked onto a nearby elevator, but one last time he looked back, his

eyes generous with grace.

By all physical appearances, Sant Rajinder Singh had just been a caring human being,

courteously greeting another. Yet within the realm of what is true and unchanging between God

and soul, some exquisite interaction had just transpired. I turned to Olga.

A state of exceeding joy and loveliness had washed over her now ecstatic face. Her thrill was so

great, she appeared almost in a state of laughter.

“La luz?” I asked, using my limited Spanish to refer to the Master’s light.

She couldn’t quite seem to bring her attention back, “Si!” she cried, her eyes still somewhat

upturned.

She so overflowed with uncontainable love – this woman I had known only a few minutes – that

she threw her arms around me and held on. When she pulled away, the elation of the Master’s

love was still pouring through her. Her friend took her arm, motioning her back to the kitchen,

and with childlike delight, Olga ran back to her work.

The following evening I saw her serving dinner in the ballroom. She embraced me, exclaiming,

“I am different today…” Then, holding her hand to her heart, “in here.” (Valerie Tarrant)

My Beloved threw me a glance like a dagger today. Since that moment, I am insane;

I can’t find my body. The pain has gone through my arms and legs, and I can’t find my mind.

(Mirabai)

-19-

Sant Kirpal Singh Ji

In Guru Gobind Singh's times, a disciple would dance from place to place as eyes of the Master

moved from one side to the other. The Guru once remarked: "My friend, these eyes of mine are

not so cheap, and you cannot have the benefit of my lyrical glances as you would like to have." (ruhanisatsangusa.org/receptivity2.htm)

When the Lord showers His mercy, the Satguru's compassionate eye falls upon the soul and both

the soul and the mind start rising above. In that glance, there is upliftment beyond any price; you

could not buy it with millions. And yet, the fortunate receive it free of charge. It is a matter of

receptivity and devotion. (ruhanisatsangusa.org/re_mind.htm)

It is the true disciple's constant wish that he may never be separated from his Guru. It is a great

blessing to have a living Master, and even greater blessing to be near Him. The bath taken from

His glance of mercy is a flow of Truth which cleanses deep through the being. The devoted

disciple sheds tears at the very memory of this. (ruhanisatsangusa.org/tghp.htm)

If we could only find a True Master Who is in control of His attention and Who can withdraw

the attention of any number of souls by a single glance through raising our attention above the

body consciousness, He would show us without any doubt that the body is merely clay and we

are giving strength to mind and outgoing faculties. The Controlling Power which is in each being

and is vibrating throughout creation has two aspects: Light and Sound. These become apparent

and audible to us when the attention is withdrawn above body consciousness. (ruhanisatsangusa.org/iamthine.htm)

God is love. Love is innate in our soul and the way back to God is also through love. All

performances, making obeisance and other things are the symbols of the respect that you have

got at heart. The more you develop that way the better, and, as I told you, the most effective way

is through the eyes. One love pouring glance from the Master will go to the very depths of your

heart and you will remember it all through your life; you cannot forget it. (ruhanisatsangusa.org/mt/develop_love.htm)

Eyes are said to be the windows of the soul. His soul is at-one-ment with the Oversoul in Him

and, as such, one can enjoy the Divine Bliss in His holy presence. In ancient times, there was

prevalent the practice of doing Aarti. A disciple would move a lighted lamp or camphor

circularly around his preceptor and would, along with the movement of the lamp, move his eyes

in divine adoration before the eyes of his Guru. It was a symbolical form of seeing the outer light

reflected in the eyes of his Master. The real Aarti is not the moving of lights, but it signifies

complete absorption by the disciple of his attention in the attention of the Guru. It was a kind of

communication between the two pairs of eyes. In fact, you have nothing to do at all. You have

simply to sit all-attention before the Master forgetting everything else around you, even your

own body and the mind. It does not matter whether you understand His language or not. You

simply look towards His eyes; you would understand what He means. A really Great Soul by His

one glance ferries you across into the Beyond. But remember that it is not in your power to gain

His glance of grace. Grace comes as a grace only and cannot be harnessed with all your wits

about you, nor can it be purchased. (ruhanisatsangusa.org/receptivity2.htm)

-20-

Who can make the Light visible within? He Whose soul is joined to God, Who has withdrawn

from outer environments and has become the attention itself--His one glance can have

inconceivable effect upon us, because we are a drop of that Ocean of All-consciousness. If man

becomes in tune with the All-consciousness--what a tremendous power will that be! When He

Who has become All-consciousness directs that Consciousness for a while, not one, but hundreds

of souls will rise above the body-consciousness. One fakir has said, One glance of Yours is

enough to take me Beyond. (ruhanisatsangusa.org/noble.htm)

The senses, mind, and intellect must be controlled and brought to stillness; only then will the

soul experience the realization. It is a subject of self-analysis, of rising above the body-

consciousness. If you think you can succeed alone, then well and good--but remember that with

a single glance from a God-realized Soul, thousands can be uplifted to this very level and put on

the way. After all, the holy scriptures all praise the Masters; there must be some reason for this.

The Satguru is a complete Soul, a perfect Soul, in Whom God has manifested Himself in fullness.

He is so much at one with God that He is God's mouthpiece; and He is competent to connect the

souls back to the Source. Ice and steam are basically the same substance; so, when one serves

the Master, one serves the Lord Himself. By serving the Satguru, you get the Naam. Become a

servant of the Lord. (ruhanisatsangusa.org/noble.htm)

Inside the body is the Jnana of the Master, a crest jewel that grants salvation,

O Nanak! with His glance of grace, he may grant it to whomever He may like,

and make him acceptable.

(Guru Amar Das)

By Thy glance of grace attract us to Thy feet.

(Guru Arjan)

-21-

A glance of grace from the Satguru is more than millions of kingships;

The moment he manifests the Word, my body and mind feel exhilarated;

But it is with the writ of God that one gets devoted to the feet of the Satguru.

(Guru Arjan)

It is His glance of Grace that bestows the Hari Ras,

O Nanak! through Hari Ras sing of the greatness of Hari.

(Guru Ram Das)

The seeker asks for but one gift,

If it so pleases the Lord, He may have mercy,

Grant me Thy glance of grace that may quell the mind

and fill it with Song Divine.

(Guru Arjan)

Full of the deadly sins and tormented by lusts of the flesh I cry,

Rescue me by Thy Grace, as best Thou may.

0 Great and Compassionate One! I am at Thy mercy,

With austerities and penances one cannot escape,

But with Thy glance of Grace, take Nanak out of the blind well.

(Guru Arjan)

I have found He whom my heart loves,

I have seized Him and will not let Him go.

I am my Beloved’s, and my Beloved is mine.

(Song of Solomon)

There are times when a human being, though perhaps not remarkable in himself,

encounters some extraordinary person or event that infuses his life with great meaning. (J. Donald Walters)

Kirpalct@yahoo.com

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(Spiritual Quotations for Lovers of God)