17 | Unity is the main force in the human heart | Dr. Harbhajan Singh

There is a hidden link among all human beings that can emerge through love and non-violence and spread from man to man and nation to nation. It is a law in nature that everything appears, disappears and reappears according to the condition of the heart of a being. If the heart of man changes to the positive side on a large scale, peace and unity will prevail in the world. As the roots of the problems of the world lie with the spirit that is overpowered by the mind, the solution can only be found on the spiritual level. In this beautiful talk Dr Harbhajan Singh gives examples of the effects of fear and love that reflect in our behaviour.

The lecture was recorded on 2nd January 1993 in St. Gilgen, Austria.

Transcript of “Unity is the main force in the human heart”

Dear brothers and sisters!

So each one of us has a purpose in our life, and in reality the purpose does not differ from each other, it is the same. The Unity of Man conference which we celebrated on the birth anniversary of our beloved Master in 1974 was a big success and a very spiritual lesson for all human beings because this unity is the main force in the heart of man. And how does unity come? Two things are there: one is love and the second nonviolence. These are rather the two most important pages of our holy life. These, you may say, are the pages of the holy book of our life. Love and nonviolence are one and the same thing. He who is nonviolent, he will not criticise anybody. He is not afraid, he is very broad-hearted and he who bears the love, will also be nonviolent. So these two things are similar, we cannot differentiate. So these two things are the main forces in the world. If these are put together in the world, then unity is there. And that already exists, but simply due to these two things, we have forgotten it.

The problem of the world is not political, but spiritual. If our premiers and religious people know, then the whole problem can be off (finished), because no problem is of political nature, it is all of spiritual nature. Some people who were affected with miseries said that the spiritual link is the only possible thing in the world which can unite man to man and nation to nation.  So this Unity of Man- Conference which we are going to celebrate in the next year, will be a big success. But with the end of this conference on World Unity of Man, the real, the main work of the Master will start.

Everything appears, reappears or disappears with the change of our heart.  Rather it is a law in the creation, in the universe. You can even see this thing in the animals. Just a little example: a cat, while picking up its kids from one place to another place with the help of its mouth, with the help of its teeth, does not harm or injure the kid. But when it catches the mouse, it crushes it with the same teeth. So you may say, this whole thing happened with the change of the mind, with the change of the heart.  So Unity of Man means we have to change the heart of people. This is the only way to bring unity in the world. Everything is there, feelings are there, emotions are there, heart is there, head is there, everything is there in man, all possibilities are there.

When China attacked India and thereafter Pandit Nehru – he was a very loveable Prime Minister of India, and he believed in nonviolence – even one time declared to discard the army and use the army for other purposes, for the development of the nations, for other purposes. But what he declared later on? He said, “There is no other way than the spiritual link. With the spiritual link we can have this tie, we can bring this unity in the world.”  Ignoring what happened to India, how much loss was there, how many people died, he still thought in the very right direction. He said: “Yes, this tyranny (and) murder is there. But in spite of that there is only one hope – that there should be a spiritual link from man to man, from nation to nation.”

So who will do that? Without a spiritual person, without the help of God, this is impossible. When you are able to bring this idea into the heart of a lot of people, then there will be a widespread change in the heart of other people, I tell you. So what are the main things there? There is a fear. Due to fear, some people create problems.  “Oh, I must be conscious”. He is afraid, so he is conscious about the fear; because all other ways and means are false. Only the right way of life, the spiritual aspect of life, this is the right thing, this is the truth. And truth has no fear, it is devoid of all fear, whereas the falsehood is full of all fears, all doubts, all criticism. Everything is there in falsehood. 

So the same thing you can also see in the entire creation. Once Master said: “People are afraid of the lion, but if you look very loveably into his eyes, he will not kill you. Because we are afraid of (it), so we are killed.” This was the only reason.

There is also a simple example:  You give some bread to the dog; he is a very faithful animal. You have given it with love. So he shakes (wags) the tail and is very happy from within because you had given this bread out of love. But if he steals the bread from the kitchen, he will not do that. He will have fear in its mind, in its heart, and he will conceal (it) and run away. So there is a bread of love and there is a bread that we steal. So there is a lot of difference, I tell you.

The power that one feels in himself is not the (our own) power. Our power is in the hand of God. This power which we feel is the weight of our thoughts, it is the weight of the matter and the maya. The effect of it is always negative.  You know, the armies do not fight, the nations do not fight, but it is already first decided on the higher plane between the negative power and the positive power. Only  thereafter it starts, otherwise not.

So when we are able to bring this change in the world through potent thoughts, we strengthen the hand of the positive power. Then there will be no bad effects in the world. This hatred, ill will and all those wishes, that is out of the negative facts of our life, and we are directly fed by the negative power. And then, if we are helped by the negative power, then definitely we have to work under his commandment. 

So there is the army of God and there is the army of the negative power, the army of Kal – two armies are there – but the army of God is always strong, because there (on the negative side) is order and here (on the positive side) is love . (The negative power gives orders, but the positive gives love). 

Master changes the heart and the negative power changes the head. This is a big difference – this is the reality, I tell you. What happens in the world – this is all man-made. This is the problem from the head and not from the heart.

So in this Unity of Man-Conference (at Kirpal Sagar, India 1994), as per wishes of the Master, if we are really able to do something for humanity, Master said, then He will open wide His grace in the world. It will go like a storm. It will shake every person out of his drowsiness, out of his slumber – all that can happen.

Master said: “The foundation of this Unity of Man will have a very strong structure in itself.” It will go like a wildfire and nobody will extinguish it. It will burn all ill, hatred, all the irrelevant (things) and the separation, otherness, duality, ego. All these things will be burned away. What will remain there? Only love, only oneness. When everything is burned, what remains there? You don’t see anything, it is only dust. And we feel that our wishes are not more than dust.

There was one person – it was something that happened in Lahore, before Pakistan – he was an old person. He earned, he gathered a lot of things. Unluckily his whole house caught fire and everything was burned except some other valuable things he had in the next room. And when he saw everything burned and (that) it became dust, he opened the door of the next room and brought everything and put it also there into the fire. People asked: “Have you gone mad?” He said: “No, throughout life I remained mad, now I have come to my senses.” He said: “I am seeing that this is not more than dust, so I want to detach from them also.” He did it. Everybody wondered about his foolishness. They said: “He is a foolish person.” He said: “No, I have become wise.” So I mean to say, it matters if we really change our heart. Everything is due to the change of the heart. Everything appears or disappears – it is a question of our heart.

Let us take the case of our wishes. In this very life we can solve the riddle of life and we can go back. But throughout our life we cannot fulfil our desires and wishes, rather they will give birth to other wishes and then we are caught in the web, the net of transmigration. 

So which is the most effective thing, easiest thing, we must do that – like this man who could see (that) the outcome of his attention, the value of his whole life was not more than dust, and could change his angle of vision.

I mean to say, even by those thoughts which we lose without attention, our life becomes aimless. Those who know about everything (i.e. about the purpose of life) but still remain careless and do not put their attention to this very subject, their life remains aimless. I tell (what is) from the Holy Scriptures, I tell you, this is not a new thing. This truth is eternal. Not only Guru Nanak told it, Christ told it, or any other Masters told it – even before them, Truth was there. It was in man, but thanks to those Powers, they lived with it and now they are helping us to live with it. Truth was there, but we never lived with it.

So the purpose, the underlying cause of our success is within us, not outside. The reason and solution to all our problems is within us and not outside.  As I told you, it is from – it begins from the change of our heart. If we really see something from the heart, we say: “Yes, it is so bright (clear) to me.” Either we like it or dislike it. You at once decide it. If you do not see it with the heart, with full attention, you cannot decide about anything.  So thanks to the Master who has helped us to decide (about) our life, to live with the Truth. So Master tells us that since we have made a decision, made a determination in our life, now the second thing is to live without any fault, without any discrepancies.

Each and everything that comes, appears or disappears from our life, it should not go without attention. Like a check-post (in an airport) – they are very accurate in checking our luggage, in checking our whole body –  like that the thoughts that come and go should not have any worse significance (bad effect on) in our life.  They should have a better way.  So everything should go with our attention.

Selfless service is the boon in human life. Selfless service excels all services. It is said:  Service to  man is service to God. Some Master said: “If you want to serve me, serve my children, serve the sick and the poor.”

I have one example I just remembered: Once a rich person knew that there is a satsang of Kabir and he went into that city. He wanted a labourer just to carry his luggage. Fortunately Kabir was there beforehand. He was also going to the same place. He said: “Yes, I can carry your luggage, no problem.” Kabir carried the luggage on His head and brought it there to the place of Satsang  (spiritual talk). And afterward, after some time, Kabir came and sat on the dias, on the stage.  So this man was very much ashamed of, but his angle of vision was changed. “Such personality and such humble work He did, such a low work He did!” And he questioned Kabir Sahib: “Oh God, bless me, pardon me, because of the sin that I did with You.” Kabir said: “No, our purpose is only to take the burden, to carry the burden of humanity and I have not done any undue thing with me, I have done justice to me.” That is what Kabir told him.

Masters come into the world, true persons come into the world, they do selfless service unto others. They carry the burden of other people on their shoulders. If you have love, if you are nonviolent,(if) you are humble, out of humility, with attention, you will bear some of the burden of others. That is but natural. The conscious co-worker of divine plan, out of humility, he has to suffer, I tell you. What to say of the Master!

So these things are very, very important. It is the beginning of our life. Without these things we really cannot live with our (inner) life. This is the practical life that shows us the way back to God. And (there is) no exception to the rule. Read all these things, all these things are put into sequence in the life of the Masters, very beautifully they are embedded (there), and they are shining like stars in the life of competent Masters. Master says: “Go within and see the beauty of the Masterpower. And see the beauty of those who lived with the (inner)life and those who helped the mission of the Master. They are one with Master and they are fully accommodated in their mission, in this setup, in the holy setup.

He who overcomes his wishes and then fulfils the needs of others is (a real) human being, he is the real man in the world. And Masters live so – they live one hundred per cent for others. Thus we can take a little example from our own house, how to start with it:

If the husband overcomes his wishes, he fulfills all the needs of his wife and his children, the wife and children will love that person from the heart. I tell you, it is the real life. And if the wife does so, the husband will love the wife from the heart. This separation, this hatred, ill will is only due to our attachment, I tell you. This love always means to give, give and give and not to take anything.

Give your good thoughts. Sacrifice each and everything. 

The man who is to be hanged – people hang people, yes, a lot of news we hear every day – and he who kisses the rope of hanging, he cannot be hanged.  Theoretically, he is hanged, practically he has kissed the rope beforehand – he did it happily. So this (real) life is something in itself which only somebody tastes if he lives with it. There is a special taste in it, I tell you. There is no taste of the (real) life  in the world. If you have to taste the life, you must rise above your own self. The life will rise, you can experience the taste of your life. It is not that life which everybody lives – this is really not the (true) life.

We have to rise above our self. How many barriers are there, how many problems are there, how many wishes are there – these are all obstructions, hindrances in the way of the real life.

In Delhi, behind Master’s (Sant Kirpal Singh’s) Ashram, there is one locality. It was at that time newly built and the Ashram was also newly built then. And then there was no way out because on the other side it was fully closed and the rainwater could not pass anywhere. So it went into the rooms of everybody, into the houses of everybody. So people got very tired. They went everywhere. They requested all other people. They said: “No, we cannot give the way out. You must arrange (it), apply to the government.”

But what to do? The government would order it maybe after many months. So ultimately, when they found no way out, they came to Sant Kirpal Singh and said: “Well Master, we have one request. Though we cannot stress You, because all that we say, it is also not in accordance with the law. The water can also not come on this side. But as nobody has accepted our plea, we have come to make a request to You, an appeal to You, if our water can pass – that You give any place it may pass through.” So there was no place. Master said: “Yes, you can make a drain from within the Ashram.” So they dug it out and there was a channel made for the dirty water. And above the building was made, I tell you. And Master said: “Only this much you want? – Each drop of my blood I am ready to give you. Because my purpose in the world is only to serve you. I have not come for myself. I am not attached to these things. It is all for you. Please tell me, if I can be of any further use to you.”

So still they remember the Master only on this ground: “Yes, such a good Master, such a high spiritual personality.” They all love Him from the heart.

So, you know, even from the life of the Masters we digest a lot of valuable things, valuable examples. And all those examples merge (within) us and should make us spark. We should start the same work as our Master did, as Christ did, as all other Masters did. Their work is one and the same – to live for humanity, to serve humanity. This excels all meditation, because there are two things that are very important in the world: There is Karma and Dharma. Karma means: To do our own work, either for ourselves or in the family, with relatives, with our relations- that is a Karma. That is due to the reaction of the past. 

And what is Dharma? When a lot of people get together and work jointly. But Master tells us, this is also not free from the reaction, because this is done on the level of the mind. Only by serving the competent Masters, by service to God, the gift of life is there.  As for example: We do (work) for a religion. Dharma means to do (something) for special purposes – not a universal purpose, but for a special purpose that is linked with some -Ism or Sect. Now (oftentimes) people misuse the money – it is a big disadvantage (karmically) in the life of the donor.  And even ammunition and a lot of dangerous explosives are bought with it (these donations] that go from one country to another country. That is the contribution of the religious people, I tell you, it is the biggest contribution now in the world, I tell you. So as I told you, the problem of the world is not political, it is spiritual. It is in the hands of spiritual people. One can overcome only with the awakening. But when awakening is there, it helps a lot.

When there was the Blue Star Operation (“Operation Blue Star” in Punjab, a military action in 1984 at the Golden Temple) people became very much excited. I went there and I met a lot of people. They were very emotional. I told them many things. I said: “Yes, whatever happened, that is not good. But whatever is still happening, that is also not good. You live up to that standard which Master has told us, which all competent Masters have told us. And such things are not created by  man, but it is created by what man has done. He is himself meeting the reaction of what he did in the past. If we do something wrong now, its reaction will be afterwards and we have to bear it. So it does not come from God. All that we have to face is created by ourselves and we have to bear it. 

After some years they told me: “Yes, your words saved us”, because in that area a lot of people were murdered. In one family, where there were ten people, only two survived, one survived, all others were killed. But all those who believed the Masterpower, those who believed the teachings, they were all saved. And especially in that area, there are a lot of disciples of the Masterpower, and nothing happened to anybody. This is a special grace from the Masterpower. Such people who without any reason killed a man like this, they also met them, they had to face them, but ultimately they said: “No, we think that we should not kill you. You are good persons.” After all, God resides in every heart.

So if you have a good feeling, a loveable heart for everybody, then what is there? At once the heart of other people is also changed. It goes like a wildfire. This love and nonviolence, tolerance, these are the most beautiful things in the life of man. If he really works upon it, then unity is there, love is there, God is there.