Paaras men aur sant men barro antaro jaan
Vo lohe ko kanchan kare ye karen aap samaan
There is a great difference between a philosopher’s stone and a saint,
The first turneth iron into gold and the other maketh like himself!
The legendary philosopher’s stone was said to convert iron into gold. However the saints and sages had the power to convert people and to make them like their own selves.
Shri Babaji Bhagwan would sometimes use the fabled insect, the Bhringee, as an example. It was said to be an insect which would catch hold of lesser insects and take them to its lair where it would sting them again and again until they lost consciousness of their own selves. Thereafter it would whisper: “Bringhee! Bringhee!” in their ears, until they would become like the Bringhee itself!
This was how God converted man to himself. Firstly He would let man pass through sorrows and sufferings and pain, until the man’s ego was totally annihilated. Then he would whisper His own name in his heart and convert him to Himself until he became like Him.
The situation was described by Shri Babaji Bhagwan in the following Persian Verse:
Man too shudam, too man shudi, man tan shudam, too jaan shudi
Taakas na goyad baad azeen man deegaram too deegari
I am thou, and thou art me, I am a body, and thou art Life,
So that, after this, it cannot be said that I am this, and thou art that!
Shri Babaji Bhagwan would let his devotees endure the sting of his Love Divine as well as the travails that came their way, so that their ego would be totally annihilated. After that he would place within them the final fruit of spiritual evolution, when nothing was left in their hearts except him.
A devotee once said: “A real spiritual Master is one who brings a host of trials and tribulations upon the devotee!”
Shri Babaji Bhagwan was pleased with the man’s definition and added: “You are right thus far! But remember, the troubles remain as troubles only for as long as you think of them as troubles! When you begin to accept them with joy, as His Will, then they cease to be troubles!”
He added: “Everyone loves the joy given by his Beloved. But he, who can love even the pain given by his Beloved, is truly a man!”
The life of Din Muhammad was completely changed after he had met Shri Babaji Bhagwan. He became wholeheartedly dedicated to serving Shri Babaji Bhagwan, while his own life became free of all fears and worries. Even the ladies in his household acquired the same faith as he had in Shri Babaji Bhagwan. The one chant that remained on the lips of all of them was “ Babaji! Babaji!” They would speak but little before Shri Babaji but whenever they said anything it was full of love and devotion. Their only worship appeared to be to serve Shri Babaji Bhagwan. They became like moths that flew around the divine flame of Shri Babaji Bhagwan. It was the light of Shri Babaji Bhagwan that held them to himself.
They stood by him even in very adverse circumstances, knowing everything to be a measure of his Divine Will. No matter what phase of life Shri Babaji Bhagwan entered into, these loyal devotes followed him without question. The situation was described by the Persian Verse:
Dosh az masjid sooye maikhaana aamad peere maa
Cheest yaaraane tareekat baad azeen tadbeere maa
Yesterday our Master left the mosque and entered a drinking tavern,
O Orthodox Friends! What else could we do, after that, but follow him!
Shri Babaji Bhagwan would narrate a parable to illustrate the above theme. There was a guru who suddenly got up from the temple and began walking towards a drinking tavern. His devotees were divided into two groups. The first group revolted at what they thought was an immoral act and left him. The second group said to themselves: “We know that going to a drinking tavern is wrong. Surely our guru must know that as well. Therefore if he is going to the place of drinking, there must be a reason for it, and our duty is only to follow him unquestioningly.”
When the second group reached the drinking tavern along with the guru they found to their astonishment that the idol from the temple had walked over to the tavern as well!