Dear associates in the Path,

On this happy occasion when we are all gathered together to celebrate the 112th birthday of our Master Sri Ramchandraji Maharaj of Shahjahanpur, I offer my humble pranams to all. When I see our gathering I get overwhelmed and the waves on the shores of humility I perceive make me dumb and silent. I do not like to disturb the divine silence that is over us as a canopy of bliss.

The moment I try to peep out of this silence, I am faced with a strange world that appears to have nothing in common with the soul satisfying imperience we just now had. The world which is suffering from all kinds of conflicts, gashed by divergences and cross-purposes, might in fairness look towards the Master the Great Healer, the One Supreme Spirit, which is the benediction of all life and being and bliss unending. The oneness, the unfathomable imperience of Unity must be realized in everyone's life, for on that, peace of the world and individual rests.

True union of our self and that of Master is the goal of our sadhana. When oneness is achieved, nothingness is realised. This nothingness is not simple void or shoonya. Our merger with Master is a progressive six-stage path. The various stages of devotion, surrender (that includes selfless service), Prapanna (earnestly seeking Master's grace), Prabhu (experience of all as Master), Prapanna Prabhu, and Laya (oneness with Master) are progressive and imperienced by serious sadhakas every time they meditate. It is a matter of imperience that we go through all these stages during our meditations though we may not be able to consciously delineate the stages. Due to our regularity in sadhana and with increasing depth of experience each of these phases brings us closer, until we are fused in a final state of perpetual bliss consciousness, or Master.

It is our duty to share this blissful consciousness with all. Rev. Babuji Maharaj is the source of happiness. He always asked us to be happy and said that is the divine will. It is tonic and elixir of our life to consider holding happiness as our basic intention of life. When we feel happiness our heart revels in delight and joy. It grants us 'santushti' or the wisdom to be contented always. This is the energy that opens doors to harmony in our lives and the vibration that is infectious. Can we not be happy for all the blessings that flow to us from Master? I know it may be difficult to truly be happy when things seem to catch us on the old roller coaster ride of life, however, this is when we should remember to stand tall and remind ourselves that happiness can be a permanent part of our nature. It is up to us.

When I find my body and spirit is not all that harmonious I made it a habit to go through my album of photos of Rev. Babuji Maharaj: instantly I always find that the shadows get dissolved into the splendrous light. Many a night I find the dawn coming by when I have not yet closed my eyes. That moment which reminds me of my duty to offer prayer is a great moment of happiness as the yellow rays that peep through the ventilator soothen me with its caresses. This classical music of unearthly silence that wakes us up in the dawn, Ushas, to be with our Lord and hear the soul soothing messages of the Master is the most enviable happiness we have and is always something to share with all. What makes us happy? It is the memory of our Master who is nearmost in our heart. His remembrance bubbles up in our heart which certainly helps to heal anything that comes by and might bother us. More than anything it will help our consciousness to be more transparent for the activity of the Divine to shine through us. Happiness consists in the awareness of the activity of Master in our hearts and we should know that such is the constitution of our nature. The awareness of the Master in our heart is a running stream and not a stagnant pool.

Even as children we should share what we know. True happiness we derive in the conscious awareness of the Master is something to be shared without any hesitation. Truth has to be revealed.This is the true joy of life. Our purpose of life is to spread the Master's message of happiness and joy. We need to recognize ourselves as beings of a divine force instead of a feverish and selfish clod of ailments and grieving senses complaining that the world will not devote itself to making us happy. I am of the conviction that my life belongs to the whole humanity and that as long as I live it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can. Such shall be in all seekers of Oneness with Master. He said he belongs to the whole of humanity and when we merge in him it shall be so with us too. We should be ready to be thoroughly used up when we die. For the harder we work, the more we live. Life is no brief candle to us. Life in the Master is a sort of splendid torch which we have got to hold up for the moment, and make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.

Pranams