BOX OF RAIN: THE STORY OF HAZUR SAWAN SINGH (part 1 of 2)
Michael Turner
For Explorers of God's Inner Light and Sound
July 1996
BOX OF RAIN: A LOOK AT MAHARAJ SAWAN SINGH
("THE GREAT MASTER OF BEAS") (Part 1 of 2)
(c) July 1996, 2010 - by Michael Turner
"What do you want me to do?
To do for you,
To see you through?
For this is all a dream we dreamed
One afternoon long ago."
- Robert Hunter
"His eyes were intoxicated
With the love of God
And His hand was one
With that of God.
He was the mouthpiece of God,
And God Himself spoke
Through that human throat."
- Kirpal Singh
(Author's Note: The following was originally written in July 1996.
Though 14 years have passed since it's original publication, the
tale of Great Master Hazur Sawan Singh Ji Maharaj resonates now
as strongly as when I first wrote it. I hope you find it
interesting and helpful. Much love in the Eternal LightSong
of Naam, Michael Turner)
Once again, July is upon us. And, for the first time in
several years, the summer monsoons are appearing at their
regularly scheduled time. The sweltering heat drops from the
hundreds down into the nineties, the humidity goes through the
roof and the winds kick in, bringing with them huge, black
thunderheads. By late morning, the sky is growing dark,
lightning flashes on the horizon, and thunder rumbles in the
distance, not unlike the "big drum" of Brahmanand - a feeling
reinforced by the orange/crimson hue of the skies as the sun
begins to set. Then the rain comes. You can see it from a
distance, like a large, grey curtain blocking out the horizon,
moving gradually toward you. With little warning, it hits
- a few big drops at first, then a torrent, accompanied - driven
by - 40-50 mile-per-hour winds, flooding the streets and
arroyos. Then, as suddenly as it begins, it drops back to a light
drizzle, and then a light breeze as the storm moves on.
It is remarkable how similar the weather here in the
Sonoran Desert is to that of the Punjab in northern India.
Actually, it's about 10-15 degrees hotter there than here, and
the storms are much more torrential. They are also the source
of farmers' livelihoods, and in fact the dominating theme of mid
and late summer. Perhaps this is why July - the month the
monsoons begin - is called "Sawan," or "the month of rains."
And it was coinciding with the advent of the summer
storms that the Great Master of Beas, Sawan Singh, was born
on June 20, 1858. The timing of Sawan s birth is notable for
a number of reasons. First, there is a tradition in mysticism
that the births of great souls are often heralded by dramatic
weather changes, often rain or snow storms. Also, just as
the summer rains are the primary source of nourishment of
Indian farmers crops, so too was Sawan s mission as Living
Shabd Master nourishment for the spiritual seeds sown by his
master, Baba Jaimal Singh.
There are so many stories to tell about Sawan Ji. I'm
not sure where to start. All who came into contact with Him
had profound respect for this man whom many called "A King
among Saints." He had a profound understanding of not only
spiritual matters, but also the human condition. He knew
that learning to take control of your attention, withdraw it
from the outer senses and unify it with God was anything but
an easy task. To be sure, the actual spiritual science of Surat
Shabd Yoga is one of the simplest things you could possibly
do. Just take time every day to sit quietly, perform the mental
simran given by your guru and allow the Light and Sound of
God lift you up and take you in. What could be simpler?
But the actual task of remolding the entire self into
God's own image is a much more arduous undertaking.
Leaving negative habits behind, transcending the five passions
is a long-term process. It is not something which can be
had simply by attending a lecture or weekend seminar, or
being well-read in spiritual theory. It is something which must
be practiced and lived on a day-to-day basis. Sawan used to
say that true spiritual growth is a subtle, gradual process. It
takes a lifetime. Old habits must be unlearned, and this itself
can be quite difficult. Our habits are familiar to us. In a sense,
they are our oldest friends and we are loath to leave them behind.
And true spirituality - we're talking self and God-realization,
of achieving spiritual freedom and erasing our karmic debt in
this lifetime - while it looks wonderful in theory, can be a very
threatening prospect. It entails leaving our habits behind and
venturing out of our comfort zone, into the unknown. For
this reason, Surat Shabd Yoga - Sant Mat, the Way of the
Saints - is a practical, personally testable science of spirituality
which each of us can perform in the laboratory of our human
body, and examine the results of our experiments as we
progress. In Spiritual Gems, Hazur Sawan Singh Ji Maharaj
himself put it this way:
"To give up worldly pleasures, to
control the senses and bring the attention in
one center by controlling the wild runs of the
mind while still alive and kicking, is not an
easy task. But what is it that with love and
faith man cannot accomplish? You strengthen
your will power and go ahead. Success is
sure. Remember that once the seed of Nam
has been planted, it must become a tree and
bear fruit. Brahmand may perish, but the seed
of Nam will not perish. There is no superior
nor more precious thing than Nam. The
sweetness of Nam - Shabd Dhun - is
incomparable and incomprehensible in both
the worlds. Nam is within you, for you, and
within your reach - just inside the tenth gate.
Saints ask, ‘Can there be a simpler proposition?'"
This is also one of the reasons why Sawan's spiritual
preparation included studying every major religion. He needed
to be able to communicate with people of various religious
backgrounds and explain how the essence of Surat Shabd
Yoga - the Shabda, Holy Spirit, Naam, Word, Ek, etc. - was
the very foundation of all religions, and furthermore that the
science tapping into this Audible Life Stream had been practiced
by every real mystic since humanity first became self-aware. His
grandson, Charan Singh, noted that Sawan was very fluent in
Persian, and had great admiration for the Islamic and Sufi
mystics. He also had a great talent for telling stories (akin
to Jesus' parables) to make a spiritual point.
So this, perhaps, is the best way to tell the story of
Sawan Singh. His life was so long, His presence so
commanding, it is nearly impossible to offer a complete
description of this great soul. He served as Living Sant
Satguru for nearly half a century, from 1903 to 1948; longer
than any Satguru in recent history. During this time, He
took the tiny seedlings of the sangats (groups of initiates in
various villages) which Baba Jaimal Singh planted, watered
them with Divine Love and watched them grow into mighty
oak trees of spirituality.
By the end of His own mission Sawan Singh's master,
Baba Jaimal Singh Ji, had initiated approximately 2,400 souls.
According to several accounts, He often said that the One who
was to do the real work, would come after Him, "with tenfold
powers, mercy and grace." During his tenure as living Sant
Satguru, Sawan initiated 126,000 souls, and traveled frequently
and widely throughout the Punjab. As a result, as Kirpal Singh
notes, "There is not a village or town in the Punjab where
His followers are not found in large numbers. In different
parts of India, more than thirty Satsang halls were constructed,
which formed centers for imparting practical spiritual-knowledge."
One of Sawan's chief assistants, Daryai Lal Kapur, also noted,
"When He started regular Satsang at
the Dera, the number of Satsangis in the Punjab
was about two thousand, and the attendance
at the annual bhandaras never exceeded two
or three hundred. (Today the attendance at
Bhandaras is well over 100,000)." Further-
more, as a dramatic example, ‘In Jullundur
City, where the number of satsangis now
exceeds twenty thousand, there was only
one Satsangi, S. Bhagat Singh.'"
There are some basic facts which should be known
about the life of Maharaj Sawan Singh. He was born into
respectable Grewal Jat family of Mahmansinghwala, District
Ludhiana, Punjab. His father was Sardar Kabul Singh and
His mother Shrimati Jiwani Ji. Like many devoted Sikh
families, they prayed for a spiritually-inclined son and, as I
mentioned earlier, were blessed on July 20, 1858, with the
birth of Sawan Singh Ji Maharaj. In 1884 He was admitted
to the Thompson College of Engineering at Roorkee. Upon
graduation, He joined the Military Engineering Service,
working at various time in Nowshera, Nathiagali, Cherat,
Abbottabad and Murree. While also in His twenties, Sawan
married Shrimati Kishan Kaur, with whom he had three sons,
two of which survived.
Throughout his twenties and early thirties, Sawan
divided His time between work and studying spiritual books
and being around holy men. Regarding this spiritual fascination,
Sant Kirpal Singh notes (in "Sawan Singh: A Brief Life Sketch"),
"The study of the basic principles of
all religions was an article of faith with him.
With his good knowledge of Punjabi, Hindi,
Urdu, Persian and English, he studied the scriptures
of Hindus, Mohammedans, Sikhs and
Christians, and paid great attention and devoted
serious consideration to the writings of the
Saints, the Sufi problems, the fundamental
problems of love and devotion, and general
ethical doctrines."
While working in Peshawar, Sawan became acquainted
with Baba Kahan, a local fakir, and beseeched him for the gift
of true spirituality. According to Kirpal Singh, Baba Kahan
told Sawan "You will certainly have a spiritual benediction
from the hands of a perfect Saint, but not from me." When
asked where He would find this person, Kahan replied, "All
your efforts shall be in vain, but in the fullness of time that
personage shall himself find you."
In the early 1890's, Sawan's job took him to the Murree
hills, where he remained stationed for a number of years. It being
a key stopping point along the way to Amar Nath, a place of
Hindu pilgrimage in Kashmir, residing in Murree afforded
Sawan the opportunity to meet a wide variety of sadhus, yogis
and other holy men. Daryai Lal Kapur notes that, during this time,
"With a Buddhist Bhikshu he studied
the Buddhist and Jain sacred literature. But
his hunger was not satisfied. He wanted to
see the Lord, face to face, while living. If
the Creator Lord was the Father and human
beings were His sons, why should it not be
possible to see Him and commune with Him
during ones life time? An American
missionary, with whom he studied the Bible,
confessed that he did not know of any method
by which this could be done. All others,
however, tried to persuade him to join their
own cults and tried to attach him to their rites
and rituals, and various other modes of
worship. He also came into contact with some
Tibetan Lamas, but their methods did not seem
to go any higher than Patanjali s Yoga, which
he had already studied."
"Look into any eyes
you find by you
you can see clear to another day."
- Robert Hunter
In 1894, while Sawan was stationed in Murree, Baba
Kahan's prophecy was fulfilled. Babaji was visiting the town,
and passed Sawan on the street. Thinking the elderly "sadhu"
to be someone attending to business with the local officials,
Sawan paid Him no mind. As they walked by, Babaji
remarked to Bibi Rukko (one of His main satsangis, and
personal attendant), "I have come for this Sardar." Bibi
wondered how it could be, as Sawan didn't even acknowledge
their presence. Babaji replied, "This poor fellow is not to
blame. He is ignorant and does not know. He shall come to
us on the fourth day from now." As Babaji affirmed, four
days later, Sawan heard (apparently from Baba Kahan) that a
great holy man was in the area. Given his interest in spiritual
matters, Sawan sought Him out and spent the next several hours
discussing all aspects of spirituality. After this, Sawan requested,
and received initiation. Babaji is said to have remarked at the
time of initiation that he had traveled all the way to Murree
for Sawan alone, stating that, "I was holding something in trust
for him. That trust I have discharged today."
For the next nine years, Sawan was Babaji's most
devoted student. Though, at Babaji's insistence, He kept his
job with the military engineering department (like all Sant
Mat Masters, Babaji insisted that his students work at real
jobs), Sawan took any opportunity available to visit Babaji at
his hut by the Beas River whenever He could. From 1894 to
1903, He and Babaji maintained regular correspondence, many
letters of which were preserved in the classic book, "Spiritual
Letters" (currently between printings by Radhasoami Satsang
Beas, Dera Baba Jaimal Singh). Babaji's counsel, concise
and to the point, helped to form the foundation of what has
become modern Surat Shabd Yoga.
"When you are doing your Bhajan or
Simran, do not have any worldly cares in your
mind nor let yourself be distracted by any
thoughts. First, do your Simran for a quarter
of an hour. Then, gradually, fix your attention
in the Shabd Dhun. Then give up Simran, and
anchor your mind and soul in the Shabd. You
will then experience great bliss, and Supreme
Grace will descend on you from the highest
region."
In instructing Sawan Singh about His daily routine
vis a vi living a spiritual life, Babaji could also be quite stern,
to which this classic letter from October 17, 1902, will attest:
"You do not seem to understand that
when your official duties are over, you are
not to talk to anyone. In the evening between
six and eight, you should sit for Bhajan as
long as possible - be it half an hour, an hour,
fifteen minutes, or an hour and a half - and
keep the surat (attention) on the inner planes.
Then hold Satsang from eight to 10:00 P.M.,
after which you may get to sleep or talk, as
you please.
Then, at 4:30 in the morning, you are
to sit for Bhajan and continue up to 5:30 A.M.
Then, throughout the day, you have to attend
to your official routine and may, if you like, talk
during those hours. But as soon as you are free
from office duties, you must not waste time in
idle talk or in the company of non-Satsangis.
You should have your meals in private . . . You
are never to have your meals cooked from non-
Satsangis in your kitchen, especially if they take
meat and drink. If you associate with non-
Satsangis, you will have to suffer the effects
of their company."
But do not mistake Babaji for being mindlessly caught
up in his own dogma, or cultic. He was just very particular
about the soul He had chosen to follow Himself as an
instrument of God-in-Expression. His basic message was
actually quite moderate. Beyond all the trappings of spirituality,
He knew that it all boiled down to the following:
"Listen to the Shabd Dhun, calling in
your heart, every day with great love and
devotion, for fifteen minutes, or ten minutes,
or five minutes, or an hour or two, according
to the time at your disposal. But you must
listen to It every day for a while."
On December 29, 1903, Babaji passed away. But
before doing so, He clearly established Sawan as His spiritual
successor. As noted last month, Babaji never gave Satsang
from the Satsang hall Sawan had built. Sawan was the first
to do so, which He did while Babaji was still alive (which was
one of Babaji's ways of pointing Sawan Ji out as His successor).
One thing which is interesting to note here is that, even
after He assumed the mantle of Spiritual Mastership, Sawan
continued to work as a military engineer, giving Satsang at the
Dera whenever weekends or vacation time would permit. He
continued to do this until April 1911 when, much to His
employers' distress and chelas' delight, He took an early
retirement from His day job and began serving as a full-time
Param Sant Satguru at the Dera until His passing in 1948.
Sawan's tenure as Great Master of Beas appears to
have been divided into two parts. From 1911 until the early
1930's, He primarily stayed in the local area, overseeing vast
construction projects. The Satsang Hall which he had built for
Babaji was soon flooded with people and became too small to
even give initiation in, much less give general Satsangs. So
He built another, and then another. And still devotees kept on
coming. In addition, to accommodate the incredible influx of
people flooding into the area, Sawan built guest houses for
them to stay in and large kitchens ("langars") to feed them. All
of these accommodations and services He provided devotees
free of charge. The enormity of this project can only be
appreciated when you see a video of Dera Baba Jaimal Singh
today.
There is one video they made of a Bhandara (religious
festival honoring Sawan's birthday) in July during Charan
Singh's tenure as the Living Saint of Beas. At least a quarter-
million people attended this gathering. Huge awnings were
erected to shield the sea of satsangis from the blazing summer
sun, as well as the possibility of torrential rains. And a
phenomenal amount of food was prepared to feed the attendees
for free the whole weekend. The seva which people did in just
preparing enough chapatis (kind of like an Indian tortilla) to
feed a 250,000 people qualified the gathering as the 8th
Wonder of the World!
Once Sawan had enough housing and meditation halls
constructed to take care of foreseeable needs, He turned His
attention to touring, and giving Satsang and initiation. The
stories one could tell about Great Master's tours around the
Punjab, and then India in general, could fill several volumes -
and in fact have. One of the earliest classics on these
spiritual missions was Julian Johnson's outstanding work,
"With a Great Master in India," in which Dr. Johnson (one
of the first Americans to visit Sawan in India) recounts his stay
at the Dera in the early 1930's, and accompanying Great Master
on tour.
One thing which struck me in reading this book was Dr.
Johnson's account of a visit Sawan paid at a Radhasoami ashram
in Allahabad presided over by Shiv Dayal Singh's nephew,
Sudarshan Singh (readers who are Eckists will note the
similarity with the Master who Sri Paul Twitchell says was his
first guru, "Sudar Singh," who also lived in Allahabad). Other
excellent accounts of Sawan's tours are contained in
aforementioned "Call of the Great Master" and "Heaven on
Earth," both by Daryai Lal Kapur, "Spiritual Heritage," by
Charan Singh, and "With the Three Masters" (a three-volume
set) by Rai Sahib Munshi Ram.
* * * * * * *
(part 2 of 2 to follow)
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