BABADONE

The Soldier
Sage of Beas
Channan Singh | Sawan Singh | Kirpal Singh
Glimpses of the Life and Teachings

of Baba Jaimal Singh
Edited and Selected by
Kevin St.Denis and David Christopher Lane
Mt. San Antonio College

Walnut, California
The soldier sage of beas
Format Copyright Only © 2020 MSAC Philosophy Group
First Edition | Trade paperback
ISBN: 978-1-56543-892-7
Type font: Garamond 14 pt.
The afternoon talk centered around this hymn, and the Master took up at length
the theme of Shabd or Naam, answering one after another Jaimal Singh's as yet
unvoiced questions on the subject. He showed how the Word was the primal
cause of creation as well as of its dissolution; how it was at once the agent of the
Almighty Absolute and itself the Absolute. Without its power nothing was
created, and only through contacting it could one reach back to one's heavenly
home. When all had departed and Jaimal Singh was left alone with Swami Ji,
he drew closer and began to question the Saint on the way to salvation. He was
convinced that the Agra sage was a true Master, but the fact that he was not a
Sikh and smoked the hookah caused him some uneasiness. But as Swami Ji took
up the subject of salvation and began revealing how Shabd was the only means
of mukti, how its contact could be given only by a Puran Sant, a perfect Master,
how man without it could never fully escape the meshes of Maya, and how its
practice and mastery lay within the reach of all regardless of their differences of
sect and custom, Jaimal's doubts were dissipated and he begged to be initiated.
Swami Ji then began to instruct him into the theory and practice of Surat Shabd
Yoga, and when the instructions were over, asking the youth of seventeen to sit
down for meditation, he left the room. As soon as Jaimal Singh sat down for
meditation, he got lost in samadhi. The night came and passed away, the day
broke, but he continued motionless, lost in the inner bliss he had discovered.
Another day saw itself swallowed by the night, and the night saw itself replaced
by another day, and yet the youth sat lost to the world around him.
INTRODUCTION
Jaimal Singh is a fascinating shabd yoga adept, whose

spiritual quest to unravel the secret of the five melodies is
both deeply moving and legendary. How he finally came
upon his guru, Shiv Dayal Singh, in Agra, India, in the mid-
1850s borders on the unbelievable. But find him he did on
that obscure back street now famously known among
satsangis worldwide as Panni Gali. Although we have
salient details about Jaimal Singh’s life there is much that
remains unknown. There are no photographs of the soldier
sage, except one that Channan Singh alleges Sawan Singh
had of him but which by his own retelling is non-descript
and appears to have been taken before he retired on the
banks of the Beas river in the Punjab.
Although Kirpal Singh has penned a fine biography of the

esteemed mystic, it still lacks details that would help us
better understand Jaimal’s relationship with his guru’s
family, particularly Partap Singh who clearly served as his
benefactor and patron.
We are fortunate, however, to have a large correspondence

from Jaimal Singh to his favored disciple and heir apparent,
Sawan Singh. First published under the guidance of Charan
Singh in the late 1950s in the original language and in an
abbreviated (and somewhat bowdlerized) English
translation, these intimate letters reveal a guru who was
deeply concerned with the physical and spiritual welfare of
his beloved student. From this correspondence we learn
about the inner practice of surat shabd yoga and the
importance of deep meditation where one focuses on the
THE SOLDIER SAGE OF BEAS
inner light and inner sound to plunge into the source of

one’s own consciousness.
Jaimal Singh was raised a Sikh. Even though he may be

considered heretical by some of his more orthodox
brethren, who exclusively focus on the sacred scriptures of
the Sri Guru Granth Sahib and don’t accept living human
gurus, the fact remains that Jaimal represents the very best
of Sikh ideals. Jaimal was a strict vegetarian, despite being
in the military service; Jaimal was an ardent meditator, who
devoted his life to the audible life stream and surrending to
the will of the supreme being, which all the ten Sikh Gurus,
from Nanak to Gobind Singh, stressed was the true essence
of religion. And, finally, Jaimal was a guru who genuinely
cared about the spiritual progress of his disciples and was
not concerned with personal fame or wealth or building his
own fiefdom.
This small book is designed to give a general overview into

the majestic life and work of Baba Jaimal Singh. It is divided
into five parts: 1. A brief biography; 2. A child’s
remembrance; 3. Sawan Singh’s recollections of his guru; 4.
Miraculous memories; and 5. The last days of Jaimal’s life;
and 6. The teachings of the soldier mystic.
For Further Reading

Spiritual Letters
Spiritual Gems
Dawn of Light
A Great Saint
Spiritual Heritage
2
GLIMPSES OF THE LIFE AND TEACHINGS OF BABA JAIMAL SINGH
I.
A BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF BABA JAIMAL SINGH
Excerpted from Spiritual Letters
[Editor’s Note: I have kept the capitalizations as found in the original

book and have not altered the spelling or grammar.]
Baba Ji Maharaj was born in 1839, in the Village of

Ghoman. His father was named Sardar Jodh Singh and
belonged to a Jat Sikh family. From His childhood, Baba Ji
was fond of the society of holy men and used to read
Vedant with a Vedantic holy man, Baba Khem Das, who
lived in His village and with whom He also read the Holy
Granth. When He read it with careful attention, He found
that the Holy Granth mentioned again and again the words
'Nam' and 'Shabd', also 'Five Shabds'. He also concluded,
from reading this scripture, that the Shabd was not a song
capable of being sung or played but was the Essence of all
Creation. He began to inquire from Baba Khem Das, but
as the latter was a Vedantist, he was not acquainted with
the secret of the Sound Current and he expressed his
ignorance on the point.
Shortly afterwards, Baba Ji's father passed away and He

began to roam about in search of sages. He would go to
every place where He learned there was some sage and
would question that sage about the five Sounds, but none
could satisfy Him. His quest led Him to Lahore where there
were many Mohammedan and Hindu sages, and still He
could not find the answer for which He was searching.
3
Becoming desperate, He went to Nankana Sahib (where

Guru Nanak was born and passed his childhood). While
there, Bhai Mota Singh praised to Him one Baba Balak
Singh of Hazro, Distt. Attock. When He talked with Baba
Balak Singh Ji about the five Shabds—Baba Ram Singh Ji
of Bheni Sahib (the founder of the Nam Dhari sect of
Sikhs, who also believe in a living Guru) was also there,
serving Baba Balak Singh. As Baba Balak Singh was a sage
of a very clean conscience, he told Baba Ji Maharaj that his
method was to repeat the word, "Wahiguru", but that he
was not acquainted with the secret of the five Sounds.
Thereupon Baba Ram Singh Ji told Baba Jaimal Singh
Maharaj not to return empty handed when He had found
such a great sage as Baba Balak Singh. On hearing this,
Baba Balak Singh said, "No, He is seeking a very high thing.
Do not dissuade Him. Let Him go and search for His high
ideal."
Baba Ji continued His search and on passing through

Nowshara, Peshawar, reached a village in the district of
Mardan. While there He met with a Garanthi (one who
reads Granth) in a Dharamsala. This Garanthi was an
abhyasi (one who performs spiritual practice). When Baba
Ji talked with him, the latter said that his guru had revealed
to him the secret of two Shabds and that he was working
on them, but the remaining three he did not know.
Thereupon Baba Ji was very happy. Due to previous
failures He had begun to believe that the five Sounds might
merely be a fancy of His brain, but now He had found that
His idea was correct. He then left the Garanthi, saying that
the Almighty Lord who had arranged to give the Garanthi
4
the secret of two Sounds would also arrange to give Him

the secret of five Sounds.
From there He was starting home via Beas when He met a

group of sadhus going to Hardwar. He accompanied them
to that place of pilgrimage, met many different mahatmas
and stayed there for several months but could not find that
for which He was searching. While there, He came to know
that there was a very old sadhu living by himself in a solitary
place in the forest, about fifteen miles away; that he sadhu
never came to any habitation nor did he allow anyone to
stay with him. He lived on whatever vegetation and fruit he
could find in the forest.
Then Baba Ji went to him and found that he was a great

devotee who was engaged in abhyas (spiritual practice) day
and night, that he always remained standing and when he
became tired he would use a piece of cloth to support
himself. The two ends of the piece of cloth were supported
by ropes, tied to the branch of a tree. When Baba Ji met
him he threatened Him, asking Him why He came and
telling Him that the place was haunted by tigers and bears,
and they would devour Him. Baba Ji replied that if they did
not eat the sadhu, why would they eat Him? On hearing
this, the sadhu was pacified, began to talk in a better mood,
and Baba Ji inquired from him about the five Shabds for
which He was searching. The sadhu sighed and replied that
Baba Ji was after the same thing which he was seeking and
continued: "By doing 'abhyas' in this place I have acquired
miraculous powers, yet I know there is no salvation without
the five Sounds. And through my internal vision I have
discovered that a great sage at Agra, who had been engaged
5
in solitary 'abhyas' for the last seventeen or eighteen years,

has emerged from His secret place to teach the world. You
should go to Him. My legs have become very heavy
because I have remained standing for years. I shall come
there, but sometime after you."
Thereupon Baba Ji left the place and went straight to Agra,

but in His haste He had forgotten to inquire from the sadhu
the name of the lane or quarters in which the Saint was
living. Therefore, He searched in many temples and other
holy places at Agra but found no man corresponding to the
description given by the sadhu. At last He went to the
Jumna to have a dip. When He was taking off His clothes
and thinking what He should do next, where should He
search, as good luck would have it, two disciples of Swami
Ji Maharaj arrived there for bathing and began to talk about
Swami Ji. Baba Ji at once came to them and inquired the
address of the Mahatma about whom they were speaking.
They gave Him the address of Panni Lane.
It was time for Swami Ji's afternoon Satsang, and Baba Ji

reached the place when Swami Ji Maharaj was holding
Satsang. Baba Ji bowed at His feet. Swami Ji inquired;
"From where have you come?" Baba Ji replied: "From the
Punjab". Thereupon Swami Ji Maharaj said: "He has
arrived—my old friend!" Baba Ji was surprised because He
had never seen Swami Ji before, so why was He saying that
they had met before? He passed a few days there, attending
Satsang, and was satisfied that there could be no greater
Master than Swami Ji. But then He hesitated, thinking that
Swami Ji was a non-Sikh while He was a Sikh. On the
fourth day it happened that all the people left the place after
6
Satsang was finished, but Baba Ji and Swami Ji remained

there. Swami Ji inquired of Baba Ji whether He had yet
decided the question of Sikh and non-Sikh. Seeing the all-
knowing characteristics of Swami Ji Maharaj, Baba Ji could
not help having tears in His eyes. Then Swami Ji described
Sant Mat to Him at length and said that it was not a
question of Sikh and non-Sikh but that the philosophy of
Sant Mat was quite beyond both. Swami Ji Maharaj then
initiated Him. Baba Ji stayed for some time in Agra, and
remained engaged in 'abhyas'.
One day Baba Ji was engaged in 'abhyas' in the garden of

Swami Ji Maharaj, which was outside the City of Agra,
when Swami Ji Maharaj arrived there; but as Baba Ji's
attention was inside, He did not get up nor greet Him.
Swami Ji, with his own power, brought down Baba Ji's
attention and inquired: "Are you satisfied that what I have
given you is the Path of Guru Nanak?" Baba Ji Maharaj
replied that it was perfectly true and His soul went into high
regions but there was some obstacle. Then Swami Ji said:
"You have already done it in the previous birth, when you
were with me. All this was already done by you." Then Baba
Ji asked, "What is the proof of what you are saying?" And
Swami Ji replied: "Well, if you want proof, then again take
your attention in." On Baba Ji's doing so, Swami Ji Maharaj
removed the obstruction which was in Baba Ji's way
internally.
When Baba Ji's attention came out, He said to Swami Ji:

"My life's work is finished; yet, let me know please, on
which place of pilgrimage I should sit and engage in
'abhyas'?" Swami Ji replied: "In this world we should take
7
up both, Swarath and Parmarth, and try to adapt ourselves

to both. If one gives up Swarath or worldly work, then he
would have to depend on others for a living and his 'abhyas'
would suffer because of those who serve him or worship
him, as people do when they see a sadhu who has
renounced the world." Swami Ji advised: "You should take
up some work in the world. One's spiritual progress
depends upon living on one's own income."
His military duties and attend the Satsang of Swami Ji. After
that His regiment was transferred from one cantonment to
another but He remained in service, and carried on His
devotions.
He retired after serving for more than thirty-two years; but

during all this period of service He was engaged in
devotion. And, as He had taught Gurmukhi to the
Commanding Officer and Major Sahib, they had great
regard for Him.
Whenever He took a few days leave from His army unit,

He would spend it in seclusion, engaged in devotion. After
retirement, as He was living in solitude, He made a small
hut near the bank of the river Beas and was engaged in
spiritual practice. This happened in 1891. From then on
until His death He continued to live there and the Place is
now called Dera Baba Jaimal Singh. He left this world on
the night of 28th-29th December, 1903.
8
II.
A CHILD’S REMEMBRANCE OF
BABA JAIMAL SINGH JI
Channan Singh
This account was given in March of 1978-- by one of the last

surviving disciples of Baba Jaimal Singh Ji (1838--1903).
I was born in Bhagowal in East Punjab, near Amritsar.

When I was ten years old, I was given Naam Initiation by
Baba Jaimal Singh. That was 1893. I am now 95 years old.
Before learning of Baba Jaimal Singh Ji, I had a little tame

bird called Batera. One night a cat came and ate her. My
eldest sister, who had just come to stay with us at
Bhagowal, asked me in the morning, “Where is your bird?”
I had to tell her. She said, “Oh, who will bear the sin?” I
thought for a while and reflected that because of my
carelessness the sin would fall on me. I asked, “Is it possible
to wash away this sin?” She told me that at Beas, which was
at that time a small village not far from us, a Saint had
recently settled and that he would be the only one who
could wash such a sin away. My sister had recently taken
Naam from Baba Jaimal Singh whom she called Baba Ji.
As I was filled with remorse, I requested her to please take

me straight away to Beas but she said, “I have only just
arrived and I have come to stay a few days.” After pressing
her she finally agreed.
9
In those early days no trains stopped at Beas for it was too

small and insignificant. Nor were there any cars or buses;
one had to walk or travel by horse. We sent a message to
hire a horse; the owner agreed but stipulated that our
mother had to cook extra chapatis for him. The food for
the journey was cooked and we started at three o’clock. By
night time we had only reached Sathiala, a distance of ten
miles. This is where my sister lived with her husband, but
there was still three miles to where Baba Ji lived. At this
stage my sister asked, “How will you go on? Who will take
you?”
I replied, “Sister, you will.” She said, “No, I cannot go.

There are some restrictions for me. I will have to arrange
for someone else to take you from here.”
She sent messages to three people asking them to take me

but no one was available. As nothing could be done we all
had to go to my sister’s house at Sathiala.
The next morning Baba Ji Himself sent His own maid

servant by the name of Chandi to my sister’s house to get
some ghee--clarified butter. My sister said, “Take as much
ghee as you like, and also take this boy back with you.” So
we started again. But after walking only two miles we came
to Chandi’s village, where she decided to go to her own
house. After some time, she asked her daughter to take me
to Dera where Baba Ji was living.
Slowly, slowly we started walking again to Beas, and when

there was still a quarter mile to go, the girl suddenly pointed
and said, “Look over there under that tree, a man is
10
standing there. That is Baba Jaimal Singh.” We continued

on the path and I could see that Baba Ji was standing with
a black umbrella looking towards me. When we reached
Him, the girl said, “This is Baba Ji.”
I bowed down at His feet. He patted me and said, “The

Dera is over there. Let us go inside.”
In those days there were no brick buildings at the Dera,

there were only two mud houses as Baba Ji had lived there
less than two years. He walked ahead and I followed. He
went straight to His house and sat on His bed. On the floor
were straw mats so I sat on one.
Baba Ji’s height was about five feet nine inches. He had
been a sergeant in the Army. His limbs were thick and very
strong with tight muscles. His face was so brilliant that one
could not bear to stand right in front of him--one's eyes
automatically went down because of the brilliance. He wore
an Indian kurta--a type of shirt which is thick and loose but
not too loose, in the style of pyjamas. He had a short,
peppered black and white beard, not like Baba Sawan Singh
Ji’s long flowing beard. Unfortunately, there are no
photographs of Baba Ji available.
After a few minutes, Baba Ji asked me “Where have you

come from?” I told him my story and he laughed and
laughed. Then he said, “Have you anything to talk to me
about?”
I replied, “Babaji, as you order.”
11
He said, “All right, Come, tell me something.”
I began, “ I have heard that there are thousands and

thousands of different species on this wheel of life. Is it
true that if someone comes to a Saint he will take him off
this wheel of transmigration?”
Babaji replied, “Yes son, if there are any customers.”
“I said, Babaji, I am a customer.”
Baba Ji looked at me and said, “If there is no keen desire

for liberation it cannot be done. But I will let you know.”
I asked, “Will it take a long time?”
Baba Ji said, “I will ask my master, Soami Ji.”
I kept quiet.
By that time it was late evening, so Baba Ji asked if I would

go back or stay. As it was only one hour’s journey to my
sister's house, I said I would go back. There I found my
sister's brother-in-law, who was about my own age. He had
been taken a number of times to Baba Ji to ask for initiation
but Baba Ji had always said, “Not yet, not yet. We will think
about it.” So, he and I both decided to go to see Baba Ji
together. This time my sister's husband accompanied us.
Baba Ji made us sit in the room where the Adi Granth was
kept wrapped under a white cloth. Baba Ji got ready and
came in. It was about ten in the morning. He then gave us
both Naam. He started by giving us theory, made us learn
12
the Five Charged Words, and spoke about the three planes
above Sat Lock: Alakh, Agam, and Anami.
I asked, “Babaji should I repeat these three names also?”
He replied, “No, you will see these planes when you reach
them.” He did not tell us anything further about the higher
planes. At the end, we made ready to leave for Sathiala. But
Babaji stopped us, saying, “Let us see if these boys
remember the Five Charged Names. Babaji asked the other
boy to repeat the names first. I was thankful because I
feared that if I had forgotten one of the names, I would
now get my memory refreshed. When my turn came, I was
able to say the names correctly, and I could see that Baba
Ji was happy. He patted us both and told us to keep on
repeating them and never to forget them.
I've then returned to my own home but after some time I

thought I should go to Beas again for Baba Ji’s darshan.
When I next saw him I asked him to please write me a
prayer, which he did. After eight days I again went to see
Baba Ji because I wanted him to write me another prayer.
This time he wrote Mangla Charan by Soami Ji, which
starts
Whosoever recites Radhasoami Naam

Sails across the ocean of life;
All troubles and strife vanish,
And he abides in a state of bliss.
After a few days I returned yet again and Baba Ji said,

“Child, what is it this time?” I asked for another prayer.
This time Baba Ji wrote Dhan, Dhan Pyarey, which is also
13
from Soami Ji’s Sar Bachan, but at the end he asked, “Are
you really learning these Shabds or just taking them?”
I replied, “Baba Ji, I learn them on the way home.” Baba Ji
was very happy.
Next time I went, Baba Ji kindly wrote out another Shabd

for me. But after this it was six months before I went again.
On this occasion Baba Ji, after making sure that I knew all
the Shabds he had given me, said, “Today I will complete
all your work.”
I said, “As you wish, Master.” But then I added, “Baba Ji,
what is the work you will complete?”
He replied, “I will look at Sar Bachan and let you know.”
After a little time had passed Baba Ji opened the book at

the Shabd “Listen O friend, I will now tell you the secrets
of the inner planes.” He then started copying this and the
following four Shabds which give details of all the higher
spiritual regions. This took him practically the whole day.
He started in the morning and stopped writing at four in
the afternoon.
Turning to me, Babaji called me to him and said, “Child,

now I have done all your work.” After carefully folding the
papers, he handed them to me, and I went home. I kept
those papers safely for many years, but I am sorry to say
one day they were stolen, and although I knew who had
taken them I never got them back
14
When I took Naam I was very small and I always used to

think that I would only fully appreciate my Guru if he
showed me a miracle. Whenever there was something on
my mind--wishing for this or wanting that--I would sit in
meditation. I found in this way I always got what I wanted.
Then one day Baba Ji sent for me. He said, “Look here boy,
what is this game you have started? You have become stuck
enjoying miracles?”
I replied, “Is it not right to do so?”
Baba Ji said, “No. This is only like a drama which lasts four
days and then finishes.”
I then promised, “Master, I will never do this again nor will

I ever request you for anything either.”
But one day Babaji was standing there so I asked him,

“Master you have never given me any prashad--you have
never given me any blessed food to eat.”
He said, “Will you be able to digest prashad?”
I answered, “Baba Ji, I cannot say whether I will be able or

not. Maybe you will give me a big quantity.”
Baba Ji went into his room, he opened a box, and in this

box there was another small box. It contained prashad that
Soami Ji had given Baba Ji many years ago. I thought,
‘Probably my share is also there.’
Baba Ji again said, “I hope you will be able to digest it.”
15
I just said, “This is up to you, for I do not know if I can or

not.” With his two fingers Babaj Ji gave me a tiny, tiny bit.
I said, “Oh Baba Ji, this is so little!”
He replied, “You are saying it is little. I am saying it is more

than enough if you can digest it.”
I said, “Very well, I will eat it in your presence right now.”

With that, I quickly swallowed it, and said, “Baba Ji, there
is nothing left in my mouth.”
He laughed, and said, “All right, it is gone into the whole

of your body, now if you digest it, it will be more than
enough for you.”
In the early days when Baba Jaimal Singh gave satsang at

the Dera at Beas, only ten to fifteen people came. Mana
Singh used to recite Shabds. I was a very young man at that
time.
One day Baba Ji was holding satsang in a small room; there

were a few men and women there. A girl of about eighteen
started staring at me. God knows with what idea. At once
Baba Ji gave the girl a look, and immediately her head went
down. She was unable to raise it until the end of satsang.
Only when everybody left was she able to raise her head.
This is how Baba Ji helped me not to slip.
Baba Ji never traveled to give satsang outside the Dera like

Hazur Baba Sawan Singh did after him. Baba Ji’s birthplace,
Ghuman, was only about fifteen or sixteen miles away, but
even then, he would only occasionally go there. His house
16
is still in good condition and local satsangis go there to pay

homage. There are always three of our female sevadars
ready to serve tea to anyone who wants to see the house.
One day, Baba Ji was out walking in his village and he met
a Muslim blacksmith. He asked him, “Are you able to make
a living?”
The man replied, “Some days I have enough to live on.

Other days I earn nothing.”
They stopped at the man's house and then Baba Ji said,

“Do you have an earthenware pot? He said he had. Babaji
then asked, “Do you have any flour? The man said there
was none in the house at the moment. “Well, do you have
a cover for the pot?” As the man said he had, someone was
sent to get some flour and Baba Ji himself placed it in the
pot. Then he said, “Keep this pot covered in a dark place
and it will give you all the flour you need.” The pot did give
flour in as much quantity as was required by this Muslim
family right up to the time that in the hurry to escape, he
left the pot behind. The satsangis of the village used to
show the pot to everybody, but after this, the blessing of
Baba Ji was withdrawn; it gave forth no more flour.
When Soami Ji died his wife instructed Bibi Rukko to leave

Agra and stay with Baba Ji on the banks of the River Beas
so as to look after him. Mana Singh came later and served
Baba Ji and was his pathi. Baba Ji would sit in meditation
for long hours, so someone walked to the Beas railway
station to buy chapatis for one rupee. They lasted a long
time as Babaji would only eat whenever he came out of
17
meditation. When the chapatis became dry, he soaked them

in water and ate them.
Sometimes we were allowed to sit with Baba Ji and he

would freely talk to us. He said one day "I will be leaving
soon."
We asked, “Leaving for where?”
He replied, “Sipla Dweep, the other world where Sat

Purush Soami Ji has ordered me to go.” He was not very
old, but then on another occasion he said “Soon I will be
leaving my body.”
Bibi Rukko asked, “Where will you continue your work?”
“In Babu Sawan Singh,” he said.
But Bibi Ji protested. “You are so stout, so big, Sawan

Singh is so thin and delicate, how can this be?”
To this Baba Ji replied, “You do not understand.” But Bibi

Ji was still inquisitive. Baba Ji kept quiet for some time, then
he asked, “Bibi Ji, what have you cooked for lunch?”
She said, “Spinach.”
“Is it still cooking?” He asked. As she said it was, Baba Ji

then said, “Have you put salt in it?”
“Yes, I have.” was the answer.

“Have you put rock salt or ground salt in it?”
18
“Rock salt,” she replied
“All right,” He said. “Go and look and see if the rock salt
is still there.”
She came back and said, “No, the rock salt is not there.”
At this Baba Ji said, “Now do you understand? Just as the

salt mixes with spinach, in the same way I shall merge into
Babu Sawan Singh.”
But still Bibi Rukko protested.” I will not accept him.” she
said.
Baba Ji became displeased and said, “Whoever does not

accept Him, hell will be open to him. You will have to
accept him--this is very important.”
My father was living in Malaya at the time. He wrote asking

me to be there too. I was sent by my mother with someone
going there. Baba Ji stayed in the Punjab, and this is how I
became separated from him. I was there four and a half
years as my father wished to get me recruited in the army.
But the colonel in charge did not approve. He said I was
too tiny for the army and not strong enough to carry a gun.
When Baba Ji left this earth, I received great love from

Hazur Baba Sawan Singh and I used to get his darshan
inside. In an indirect way I was made to understand by
Hazur that Baba Ji had instructed Hazur to look after me.
He had said, “This boy should be taken care of and given
training, as he is my responsibility.” Sometimes when
19
Hazur gave satsang he would laugh very heartily; I have a

photograph of him like that. I never had the chance to see
Baba Jaimal Singh laugh like that, but he never gave anyone
the sort of severe reprimand that Hazur gave at times. Baba
Ji was always cheerful and good tempered. He had his own
wonderful ways to make others understand what he
wanted.
It is such a pity that there are no photographs available of

Baba Ji. Actually, no photographs could ever be taken.
Whenever anyone came with a camera, Baba Ji would say,
“What will this camera do if I do not wish my photograph
to be taken? It depends on my wish whether it can be taken
or not.” But I found later on that Hazur had one
photograph. One day when Hazur and I were sitting
together we had an argument. I said, “I know you have a
photograph of Baba Ji, why don't you take it out?”
Hazur replied, “Channa Singh, I did not mean to hide that

photograph from you. The photograph that I have is not
of the time when Baba Ji was in service.” Then Hazur
opened a small box; there were three photographs inside,
two of which were someone else, the third of Baba Ji.
Hazur said, “All right. Which of these three boys is Baba
Ji?” I could not recognize him. At this Hazur took them
back.
Because we were fellow disciples of Baba Ji, I had much

love from Hazur. About five years back when I was ninety
I became ill. I received Hazur’s radiant form inside, but he
did not talk to me. I got up and sat on this couch where I
am now sitting, and I called a lawyer, and I made a will. In
20
the evening I started vomiting. My youngest son was called.

Both my sons stayed with me until two in the morning. I
asked for some herbal medicine made by a local satsangi,
and as soon as I took it the vomiting stopped. I told my
sons to return to their homes as I felt well again.
I lay down, and as soon as my head touched the pillow my

soul went up. I saw some man telling Baba Ji, “True
Emperor, your boy has come.”
Baba Ji replied, “Silly fellow, how has he come?”
The man said, “Babaji, he has come by himself. No one has

brought him.”
Baba Ji then said, “All right, send him back; but first take
him around for about ten minutes, not more.” They made
me change into clothes worn in that region, but before they
sent me back that fellow made me change into my own
clothes again, and took all the other clothes away.
Then he said, “There is your body lying over there, get back
into it.”
I said, “Dear friend, I don't want to get back into it, it is so

smelly.”
“But this is your own body and you must use it now,” he
replied.
“Yes, yes, I know it’s mine,” I protested, “but it smells so

bad and I don’t want to go.”
21
Well, in spite of my protests I just had to get back into my

body, and as I was about to leave, this fellow pointed to the
shoes I was still wearing. He remonstrated, “Why are you
taking the shoes from here with you?”
I replied, “Oh, my friend, I have kept them on because I

feel at least I should have something to show the
sangat.” He took them off, and made me go back. The next
thing I knew was that I was back in my physical body and
my eyes were open.
22
III.
SAWAN SINGH’S RECOLLECTIONS
OF BABA JAIMAL SINGH
Excerpted from Spiritual Gems
1. Later I was transferred to Murrie Hills. One day as I was

supervising my work, I saw an old Sikh going up a hill along
with a middle-aged lady. When I noticed him, I thought he
had probably come in connection with some case in the
Commissioner's Court. Little did I think that he was to be
my Master. He was no other than Baba Ji Himself and the
lady was Bibi Rukko. This I did not know at the time, but
found out later that Baba Ji said to Bibi Rukko, referring to
me, "It is for his sake that we have come here." To which
Bibi Rukko replied: "But he has not even greeted you."
Baba Ji said to her, "What does the poor fellow know yet?
On the fourth day he will come to us."
2. When I was S.D.O. at Murrie Hills and in charge of water
supply works, my house was near a Dharamsala, a free rest
house where sadhus, mahatmas, and others going on their
way to the pilgrimage of Amarnath in Kashmir, would
often stay, and I had the opportunity of talking to them and
discussing religious and spiritual problems with them.
In those days Baba Ji came to Murrie and put up in the
Gurdwara (a Sikh temple). He held Satsang from Granth
Sahib and created quite a stir by his novel (or what seemed
to be novel) interpretation of Granth Sahib. This was
brought to my notice too. One man said that he offers as
prashad what is left in the plate after eating; another told
23
me that he puts musical instruments in the heads of people.

I promptly pulled him up and said: "I am an engineer and
I know it is not possible to put any musical instrument in
the head of a person."
On the fourth day I went to attend Satsang. Baba Ji was at
that time explaining the meaning of ‘Jap Ji’ Sahib. Well, I
started my volley of questions—so much so that the
audience got tired and began to feel restless. The sacred
book, ‘Sar Bachan’, was lying there and I objected, to the
name of ‘Radha Swami’, and Baba Ji explained from the
book itself what ‘Radha Swami’ meant:
“Radha ad Surat ka Nam. Swami ad Shabd Nij Dham.” Translated:
“Radha is the name for the first or primal soul. Swami means the
original Shabd of the Real Home.”
Now he wanted to point out the way, but I had read

Vedanta. When I read Gur Bani, my opinion was different;
when I read Gita, my opinion was again different, etc. and
I was unable to come to a decision. At last I applied for
eight days' leave to enable me to study the teachings of
Baba Ji. He advised me to read Kabir Sahib's Anurag Sagar.
I immediately ordered eight copies of this book from
Bombay so that I could also give some to my friends: Babu
Hari Ram, Gulab Singh and others, to read and comment
on it.
After several conferences with Baba Ji I was thoroughly
convinced and received Initiation from Him on the 15th
day of October, 1894.
3. Baba Ji went to the Dharamsala and started Satsang from
the Granth Sahib. Babu Sukh Dayal, my friend, came to me
24
and told me of the novel explanations of the teachings of

Granth Sahib, which were given out by a Sadhu who
recently arrived at the Dharamsala. I was ready to accept
the Truth from anyone, and so we went together to listen
to the Satsang. In three or four days my doubts were
resolved and I got satisfactory explanations to the various
questions which I used to take with me.
At last I asked for Initiation, but requested that I might not
be told to accept the name of “Radha Swami” as I had
never heard of it prior to this. Baba Ji said to me, "Radha
Swami implies the highest Spiritual Power. What objection
have you to the name of ‘Radha Swami'?’ I said, “It does
not appeal to me.” Then he asked, “How many new names
of the one God are mentioned in ‘Jap Sahib’?” I replied,
"Some twelve or fourteen hundred." Then Baba Ji said, “If
you do not object to those names, why do you object to the
name of ‘Radha Swami’?” Thus, my doubts being resolved,
I got Initiation.
4. It is only by great good luck that you meet Saints. I will
tell you my own story. If now and then we have the good
fortune to come across such people, then we do not believe
what they say. Before Baba Ji came here (to Beas), I am told
that there used to be an apparently half-witted fellow, but
really a very spiritual person (a mastana), who would often
pick up bricks from far and near and make them into small
heaps at the place where the Dera is now situated. He was
called Kanhom, the half-witted. If people asked him what
he was busying himself with, he would stop and say: "This
will be a very flourishing place. Splendid houses will be
built here. It will be populated just like a city." In those days
25
there was absolutely nothing here—no buildings of any

kind. It was all waste land and desert.
When Maharaj Ji (Baba Jaimal Singh) took His abode here,
there was only one very small mud hut — 8'x8'. When I
stood in it, I could touch the roof with my hand. The story
of our Baba Ji is also wonderful:
Sometimes I used to ask him very childish questions, but
He was never annoyed and always answered most kindly.
When Baba Ji's regiment was ordered to the Frontier

District, while there, He would at night go out into the
open and dig a small pit in the sandy soil. With his rifle
tucked behind His knees, He would sit there in meditation
the whole night. In the morning he enemy (the Pathans)
would be found sitting around Him. As He would get up
to leave for His regiment, they would pay Him respect and
obeisance. Nobody would disturb Him, and they would say
among themselves: “He is a Faqeer. We should not touch
Him.” If there were three or four holidays, He would
devote all of them to Bhajan.
He also taught Gurmukhi to the Colonel of His regiment.
He retired on pension after thirty-four years of service. He
remained at the Dera (Beas) for fourteen years and passed
away on December 29, 1903.
5. You know how I broke my leg. It is a long story and I
have narrated it several times in Satsang. I used to go every
Sunday to my Master for Satsang. One day He asked me
not to come, and said: "You go straight"; that is, from
visiting my mother at home I should return straight to the
26
hill station where I was in service, without stopping at Beas

as I usually did. When the train reached the station at Beas,
I found Maharaj Ji (Baba Jaimai Singh Ji) standing there on
the platform. It seemed as if He wanted to say something,
but kept quiet. I proceeded to the hill station and resumed
my duty.
It was my habit to catch hold of the mane of my horse and
jump on it while it was going by. But my servant, in my
absence and without my knowledge, had clipped the
horse's mane. I did not notice that and as I grabbed for the
mane, my hand slipped and I fell down and broke my leg.
The fracture was painful, no doubt, but much more painful
was the fact that I could neither defecate nor urinate. The
doctors even thought that it would be difficult for me to
survive.
On hearing of this accident, a Mohammedan overseer, who
belonged to my district, came to me and said: "I am your
own man, a sort of family member. I belong to your place.
Tell me please, how can I help you?" I said, "My children
are studying as boarders in a school about eight miles from
this place. I do not want them to know of this accident. But
I would like you to send a telegram to Maharaj Ji (Baba Ji)."
He sent the telegram. And when Baba Ji received the
telegram He said: "Well, if the Master wants to take him
away, He may, for at least he has got Nam." But my sister
in faith, Bibi Rukko, pleaded for me with Baba Ji.
It was Baba Ji's practice to go into meditation when
anything important was expected to happen, and then to
give out whatever information He received from within.
He sat in meditation at 8 P.M. or earlier (whenever the
27
information was received by telegram). At about 3 A.M. He

called Bibi Rukko, and she asked, "Shall I bring your food
now?" (He had not taken his evening meal.) Baba Ji replied:
“No, but you asked something about Bhai Sawan Singh.
Now you can inform Sawan Singh that he is not going, but
the karmas were very heavy. It was ordained that he had to
suffer for five years but now we will settle the karmas in
five months. Is it not something? We shall not go to him
just now, but after he has been discharged from the
hospital. In the meantime you may acknowledge receipt of
his telegram.” And the moment Baba Ji's telegram was
received I was able to defecate and urinate.
6. It is only by great good luck that you meet Saints. I will
tell you my own story. If now and then we have the good
fortune to come across such people, then we do not believe
what they say. Before Baba Ji came here (to Beas), I am told
that there used to be an apparently half-witted fellow, but
really a very spiritual person (a mastana), who would often
pick up bricks from far and near and make them into small
heaps at the place where the Dera is now situated. He was
called Kanhom, the half-witted. If people asked him what
he was busying himself with, he would stop and say: "This
will be a very flourishing place. Splendid houses will be
built here. It will be populated just like a city." In those days
there was absolutely nothing here—no buildings of any
kind. It was all waste land and desert.
When Maharaj Ji (Baba Jaimal Singh) took His abode here,
there was only one very small mud hut — 8'x8'. When I
stood in it, I could touch the roof with my hand. The story
of our Baba Ji is also wonderful:
28
Sometimes I used to ask him very childish questions, but

He was never annoyed and always answered most kindly.
When Baba Ji's regiment was ordered to the Frontier
District, while there, He would at night go out into the
open and dig a small pit in the sandy soil. With his rifle
tucked behind His knees, He would sit there in meditation
the whole night. In the morning the enemy (the Pathans)
would be found sitting around Him. As He would get up
to leave for His regiment, they would pay Him respect and
obeisance. Nobody would disturb Him, and they would say
among themselves: "He is a Faqeer. We should not touch
Him." If there were three or four holidays, He would
devote all of them to Bhajan.
He also taught Gurmukhi to the Colonel of His regiment.
He retired on pension after thirty-four years of service. He
remained at the Dera (Beas) for fourteen years and passed
away on December 29, 1903.
29
IV.
MIRACULOUS MEMORIES
By Jowala Singh
Editor’s Note: These reminiscences first appeared in English in the
first and second editions of Spiritual Letters. However, they do not
appear in the latest and newest edition. This may be due, in part, to
the supposed “miraculous” nature concerning the following
incidents. We have included him here because (regardless of whether
they are literally true in all instances) they illustrate Jaimal Singh’s
great love and devotion to his guru, Shiv Dayal Singh.
1. One day Swami Ji Maharaj asked me to return to the

camp and resume my duty. I, however, did not feel like
missing the Satsang. Huzur (Swami Ji) again ordered me to
return to my duty. I went a short distance but returned
again and, sitting in an obscure corner, continued listening
to the discourse. There was roll call in the camp every night
at 9-30 to see that everybody was in. I did not return and
was not present in the lines at the time. Actually, I left the
Colony at 1.00 A.M. and, even so, sat for Bhajan
(meditation) for almost one hour on the way. I reached the
camp at about 2.00 A.M. and went straight to the sentry on
duty. I told him that I was absent from the lines and would
like to have the orders as to whether to go to my tent or
report myself to the Havildar in charge. The sentry
answered that I was present at the roll call, I was actually
standing beside him and had duly answered when my name
was called. On hearing this I repaired to the Havildar and
tried to explain to him my absence from the roll call. But
he cut me short and affirmed that I was duly present and
30
that he had seen me with his own eyes. Evidently,

therefore, he could not possibly mark me absent. I quietly
came away, realizing fully the rare Grace which Swami Ji
had bestowed on me. I was convinced that Maharaj Ji
(Swami Ji) had Himself appeared in my stead and answered
the roll call. This event led to my absolute faith in my
Satguru.
2. Just fifteen days after the above-mentioned incident,
there was a court-martial case in the orderly room where
law books had been arranged for consultation and
reference purposes. I was assigned the job of looking after
the books. This assignment was to last for nine days. One
of the fellow men agreed to work in my place, so that I
could remain in the company of Swami Ji Maharaj and
listen to His Satsang. I went over to Swami Ji Maharaj and
told Him that I had come on nine days' leave and would
remain at His Feet for that period. Swami Ji Maharaj
condescended to permit me to do so and allotted me a
small room on the first floor of a house in the colony. I
would listen to Satsang and then retire into this room.
When I went back to duty I asked the gentleman, in whose
custody I had left the books, to let me know where they
were so that I could return them. He told me that I had
taken the books myself at eight o'clock that morning. How
was it that I had forgotten it, for every day I had been
keeping them myself and then taking them away. He
further stated that he had been seeing me there every day,
although I had requested him to attend to my duty during
my absence. I replied that I had returned only then. The
gentleman insisted that he had been seeing me there every
31
day. On hearing this I quietly walked away to the lines,

reported myself to the Havildar who was a friend of mine
and whom I had taken into confidence before going,
having told him that I would remain away to attend Satsang
for nine days and that, in case of necessity, I could be
recalled. The Havildar too was surprised as he said that I
had been daily present at the roll call and had invariably
answered it in person on each of the nine days. He,
therefore, could not understand my telling him that 1 had
returned only just then. I once again asked whether it was
really a fact that I had been present all along. The Havildar
repeatedly affirmed and finally declared under oath that he
had stated nothing but the truth. I was once again
completely convinced that Huzur Radhaswami had
answered the roll call in my place. I was pleasantly surprised
that Huzur (Swami Ji) had me simultaneously in two
places—one at the Satsang and the other at my post—but
Himself performed the duty assigned to me at the time.
3. At one time I was posted to Panighat on guard duty.
Whenever my turn came to be on duty, I used to slip away
to attend Maharaj Ji's Satsang (which was nearby) and
return to duty only when it was over. Once, during my
absence, the guard was checked but was found to be intact.
Even in roll call my presence was duly marked. This greatly
surprised me but, realizing that it was Maharaj Swami Ji's
Infinite Grace and benevolence to present Himself in my
place, I bowed in profound gratitude.
4. Once, during Christmas, the army units were allowed
four holidays. As I had no official duty assigned to me
during that period, I felt that I could best spend it in
32
meditation in my room. Accordingly, I told the cook that I

should not be disturbed, that if I needed food I would
personally ask for it. Also, if anybody asked for me, he
should be told that I was out.
It so happened that soon thereafter my presence was
required for writing some accounts. However, as my door
was locked, everybody who came to call me went back
disappointed. Meanwhile, the officer of the Unit had
demanded full account from the clerk who really did not
know what to do in my absence. Just when a thought
crossed his mind that he should report my absence to the
officer, he saw me and heard me say to him that he should
take down the account. This the clerk did. Such accounts
were rendered three times daily, and were thereafter sent to
the officer concerned by the clerk immediately after he got
them. This continued on all the four days during which I
was engaged in meditation in my room. However, I knew
nothing about it, for I would leave my room only at four
o'clock in the morning and ten o'clock at night just to
answer nature's call. When the holidays were over and I
came out of my room, I was called in for accounts for the
day previous only. I explained to the clerk that I had been
confined to my room for the last four days and had not
given any accounts at all for the entire period. The clerk
then called the two persons who had been present at the
time the accounts were rendered. One of them even
produced the paper from which I had actually dictated,
saying that I could myself ascertain whether this was the
account written by me in my own hand. When I examined
this paper, I found it to be exactly what it should have been.
I silently meditated upon Huzur Swami Ji's Feet and bowed
33
in gratitude for His unbounded Grace in representing me

during my absence and carrying out the job assigned to me
for that period. These four events did take place. It is
impossible to express in words the limitless Grace
showered on me. His Greatness and Glory are verily
beyond all description.
5. Many a time Swami Ji used to ask me to return to camp
for roll call, barely ten minutes before the cannon was to
give the signal. Even so, it was only after I covered the
distance of a mile and a half, and reached my destination,
that the cannon was fired and roll call would begin.
34
V.
THE LAST DAYS OF BABA JAIMAL SINGH

Letters from Bibi Rukko
25th October, 1903

1. Radha Swami, Radha Swami, Radha Swami Ji from Bibi
Rukko to her true brother, Babu Sawan Singh Ji, Radha
Swami. The state of affairs here is this:
For the last three or four days Maharaj Ji (Baba Ji) had taken
His ‘surat’ inside. Today, 25th October, He did not go even
to Satsang. After I requested repeatedly, He came to
Satsang for a short while, when ‘vinti’ was being chanted.
('Vinti' is a humble prayer, chanted after Satsang is finished: “With
joined hands I pray to Thee, Radha Swami, harken to my humble
request.”)
He was silent for a while. Then, after a short while, He

looked inside with His inner sight and repeated the last
words of Swami Ji, then said that the ‘surat’ now continues
going up and up, and does not come down. He also said
that the ‘surat’ remained one day at Sahansdal Kanwal, one
day at Trikuti and now, passing through Daswandwar, it is
going upward and does not think of anything this side.
What is His Mauj, we do not know. Then a short while
after, He came out and stretched Himself on the bed.
Then all Satsangis humbly asked Him what the Mauj was.
Whereupon He answered, “I asked Swami Ji. You also pray
to Him.” He is not so very unconscious. When He talks He
35
explains things well and then again He takes the ‘surat’ up.
He is not ill and has no trouble nor does He take any
medicine. Once He sent His ‘surat’ up to such an extent
that there was absolutely no consciousness of the body.
Then I did a little ‘seva’ (service, but here implies she
massaged Him a little) and prayed to the Lotus Feet of
Swami Ji Maharaj, and put some of Mata Ji's (Swami Ji's
wife's) Parshadi into His mouth. Then He began to speak
again.
Mangal Singh, Manna Singh and Channan Singh always
attended Maharaj Ji (Baba Ji). There is no other trouble
whatsoever, but whatever words the Maharaj uttered from
His Sacred Tongue, that I have written to you. If there is
anything else, that also shall be written to you. I hope He is
keeping you informed internally.
On one occasion Bibi Deeman went to the room of
Maharaj for Darshan. Then He commanded, “Now get
hold of Babu Sawan Singh.” After that He became silent. I
then again entreated, “For us you are the, Sarup of Swami
Ji.” All this account and whatever Maharaj said has all been
faithfully reported to you.
2. On Sunday, the 28th October, 1903, Milkhi Ram of
Village Mithapur came to Baba Ji's Satsang. Baba Ji called
him near Himself and said:
“It is intended to explain some mysteries which have so far
been kept secret. I am saying this according to the order of
Swami Ji Maharaj. You please write. The secret currents
(Dhara) around Anami Pad are now to be given out
according to the orders of Swami Ji Maharaj. At first they
36
were secret and now I wish to make them known. Let not
people say that one who was the beloved or the favored of
“Swami Ji Maharaj passed away quietly.”
Bibi Rukko was also present at that time. She remarked,

“There is a lot of ‘bani’ by Swami Ji, and His followers read
His ‘bani’. If you now utter any ‘bachans’ (say anything),
then your followers will read your ‘bachans’. Nobody will
read the ‘bani’ of Swami Ji Maharaj. If you are keen upon
showering Daya (Grace), please request Swami Ji Maharaj
to shower inner Daya. There is no need for writing
outside.”
Then Baba Ji said: “Swami Ji Maharaj, these people do not
care for the spoken word. Shower inner Daya upon them.”
And then He said to Bibi Rukko: “Do not worry, I have
presented your request to Swami Ji Maharaj.” At that time
Milkhr Ram, Moti Ram and Bibi Devi, were present. Bibi
Devi inquired, “Whose Darshan shall we have now?” To
which Baba Ji replied: “Babu Sawan Singh will work in my
place.”
Bibi Rukko then asked if the Satsangis who are far away
should be informed. Baba Ji said, “No. I have made the
request before Swami Ji Maharaj. He will do the needful.”
He also said if there is anything to be asked or explained,
then Chacha Ji (Seth Partap Singh), who is now in place of
Swami Ji, should be resorted to. Then He said that the
secret Shabd Currents in the neighborhood of Sach Khand
will be revealed by Chacha Ji.
37
After that, for about fifteen days before His passing away
such was His condition that whenever any Satsangi went to
Baba Ji for Darshan, he would become completely
unconscious and have no sense of the body or
surroundings. He (the person going in for Darshan) had to
be carried out from Baba Ji's room by two men who would
then take him to another room. He would generally come
to his senses after a couple of hours, and if anyone asked
him at that time what had happened, he would say, “There
is nothing except Shabd, Shabd and Shabd, and all is
Shabd.” This went on continuously for fifteen days.
So this I have submitted to your lotus feet. You are
‘Samrath’ (All-powerful) and ‘Antarjami’ (All-knowing).
38
VI.
THE TEACHINGS OF JAIMAL SINGH

Selected from the Writings of Kirpal Singh
To present the teachings of a past Saint who has left no

compositions of his own either in verse or in prose, and in
whose time shorthand and the tape recorder were yet
unknown, is not an easy task. However, the bunch of letters
that Baba Ji addressed to his beloved “Babu” Sawan Singh
Ji have been preserved and are very revealing. Further,
some of those who came in contact with him have left
suggestive accounts of his discourses. But most important
of all, Hazur Sawan Singh Ji Maharaj, to whom he passed
on the spiritual torch, has interpreted within living memory
the message in its essence of his great Guru. Piecing all
these together, we can arrive at a clear conception of the
nature and scope of his teachings.
The Creation
The Absolute Reality in its ultimate form was Nirakar,
Nirgun and Anami--Formless, without attributes, and
Nameless--and could only be expressed in negatives:
“neither light nor darkness,” “neither sound nor silence,”
etc. It was incomprehensible, ineffable, infinite and
indescribable. It was this Supreme Reality that was
responsible for everything else. When it projected itself into
form, it brought into being the purely spiritual realms of
Agam, Alakh, Sat Naam, etc.; Light and Sound appearing
as its primal attributes. Thence as it descended downward,
it brought into creation the material current or Kal which
39
gained in predominance as it moved lower and still lower.

The countless regions that were created below the purely
spiritual realms of Sat Desh could be divided into three
grand divisions: Brahmand, Und and Pind--the causal, the
astral and the physical, or the spirituo-material, the materio-
spiritual and the material. So long as one lived in the plane
of the relative, one was caught in the web of Maya. One
desire was succeeded by another and pleasure was followed
by pain. There could be no lasting rest, no lasting joy. God,
in filling the cup of man's earthly blessings, had left out
happiness and contentment, to ensure that His creature did
not wholly forget his Maker. The only way to attain
beatitude lay in transcending the realm of relativity and
reaching the regions of pure spirit where the soul merged
in the Absolute, became lost in the Ocean of
Consciousness, and was freed from all failings and desires.
How was this transcension to be achieved? Baba Ji, like
Kabir, Nanak and Swami Ji, repeatedly affirmed that outer
practices were not of much avail. Reading of scriptures
could awaken one's interest in spirituality, but by itself it
could not insure emancipation. Mystic literature and
religious ritual were useful in many ways: they kept
mankind aware of a deeper Reality than the one they were
accustomed to in everyday life. But this Reality was to be
approached through practical means, and absorption in
intellectual problems and controversies only diverted one's
energies from one's real Path: Khasam na chinae bawri, ka
karat barai, Batan bhagat na hohingay, chhoado chaturai.
O man! If you have not realized the Almighty, why you
brag of your greatness? Let go thine intellectual subtleties.
40
Sakhi Shabd Sandes parh mat bhoolo bhai, Sant mata kuchh aur
hai, khopa so pai.
Don't you be deluded by restricting yourself to mere

reading and writing of scriptures.
The Path of the Masters is different.

He who is truly after it will get it.
The devil could quote scriptures, and Baba Ji maintained
that “religious wranglings and disputes, the pride of caste,
the Varnashram, of worship, pilgrimages, mere reciting of
scriptures, worshiping those who were past and gone, and
such other actions and disciplines” were all “a great
deception” and trap set by Kal to keep the soul within the
bondage of the realms of relativity. In like manner, the
outer kriyas or practices of traditional yoga--pranayam and
various mudras and asanas--were ineffective for taking us
to our real goal. Baba Ji, as his life amply testifies, greatly
respected holy men of all creeds and callings, but he never
lost sight of man's highest ideal and lived by the insight
expressed by Kabir: Sadh hamare sab barae apni apni thor,
Shabd parkhu jo milae tis aagae sir mor
A1l holy ones are worthy of reverence, But I adore only
One who has mastered the Word.
He had at a very early age experimented with many a yogic
method and whenever he pronounced on the subject, he
spoke not as one who bases himself on academic learning,
but as one who has himself practically experienced what he
says. His words carried conviction, for there was not a trace
41
of prejudice in what he said. He simply explained that he

himself had explored all avenues and found the path of
Sant Mat or Surat Shabd Yoga to be the highest. He had a
great deal to say about the wonderful miraculous powers
that could be acquired through yogic sadhnas; but his one
criterion was: did they make one the master of one's mind,
freeing one from the tyranny of desire? If so, then there
was nothing to be said against them, but if not (as was
usually the case), then they were hardly of any use. While in
Murree in 1894, he, in response to many questions
addressed to him by Baba Sawan Singh Ji, dwelt at length
on the subject of comparative yoga and concluded by
demonstrating how Kabir and Nanak had assimilated the
best from their predecessors; how they had penetrated far
higher into the Mystic Path; and how they had succeeded
in developing a method for mergence with the Formless
Absolute that was within the reach of all. He would often
quote from past Masters to reinforce his point, and in
particular he would cite what his great Guru had said:
Sant Mata sab se bara yeh nische kar jan

Sufi aur Vedanti donon neeche man,
Sant Diwali nit karen Sat Lok ke mahin
Aur mate sab Kal ke yun he dhur urain.
The Path of the Masters is far superior to all others, believe

ye in full faith.
Sufism and Vedanta can lead you to a certain extent but

cannot take you to the ultimate goal.
42
The Saints live eternally in the splendor of the Supreme

One. All other creeds and orders fail to transcend the
realms of Relativity.
What was this science of the Surat Shabd Yoga that

represented the crown of mystic achievement? It was, said
Baba Ji, the path most economical in effort and he one
most rewarding for reaching back to the Primal Source of
all life and light. Its secret lay in the insight that if the soul
was to merge back into the point from where it had
descended, the way of ascent must be identical with that of
descent. The Nameless One, when He had assumed Name
and Form, had projected Himself into Shabd, Naam,
Kalma or the Word. It was this spiritual current, whose
primary attributes were melody and effulgence, that was
responsible for all creation. In a letter dated 2lst April,
1903, Baba Ji wrote:
It is through Shabd that everything came into manifestation--Ishwar

(God as the sustainer of the world), Jiva (individual soul), Maya (the
subtle and gross material), Brahmand (the physical, astral and causal
planes)--all were brought into being by His motion. All sages, in their
own different ways, had testified to the working of the Word or
Naam Power: What the Masters of the Surat Shabd Yoga said on this
subject was nothing new; what was distinctive was their emphasis on
the idea that if everything--even the Jiva Atman--had come into
manifestation through the agency of Shabd, then Shabd was the best
and only means for reaching back to our Point of Departure, the
Nirakar, Nirgun, Anami and Absolute. The music and glory of the
Word spread through all creation and permeated our being. If only
the Atman could be contacted with it, it could use this "string from
the Nameless Lord" to reach His Door. But the soul in its downward
descent had loosened the link and had forgotten its real nature.
43
Acquiring the gross coverings of body and mind, it had lost

sight of its native home and identified itself with its prison.
Baba Ji said in his letter of 15th May, 1900:
Ever since the Jiva Atman has been separated from Sach Khand
(True Abode) and from Shabd Dhun, it has lost its faith in the Sat
Purush (True One) and Shabd Dhun. But the Shabd always looks
after the Jiva Atman though it knows it not for it has fallen deeply in
love with Mind and Maya, with the objects of Maya and the senses
that are so deceptive. It loves them so well that it cannot realize that
it is to his own detriment, considering as beneficial what is in fact
harmful. Love for the Mind has left it anaesthetized, and the Mind
itself has fallen senseless before the pleasures of the senses, and
finally, Maya has cast such a spell that it may never recover from its
swoon.
Our spiritual faculties had got so fogged and cloaked with

the gross coverings of Mind and Maya that, even though
the Shabd was forever reverberating within and around us,
we could not hear its music or see its glory.
How was this chain to be broken? How could man once
again revive his link with his Maker? For this, Baba Ji
affirmed, one needed indispensably the aid of a competent
Master:
Without his enlivening touch the soul could not awaken
from its slumber and get attuned to Naam.
The Jiva Atman was too far lost in the gross material to
contact Shabd on its own account. Besides, the inner way
was not an easy one and even if the soul could transcend
physical consciousness and enter the realms within, it could
not proceed very far on its own. The regions And and
Brahmand were well-nigh infinite and without a spiritual
44
guide it would remain lost in their wonders. Further, there

were points in the mystic journey, especially between one
plane and another, that were so difficult that but for an
Adept the soul would be forever obstructed there. Baba
Sawan Singh Ji in a letter to one of his disciples makes the
necessity of a living Master in the Mystic Path very clear
indeed:
“When I was in the hospital on account of the fracture of my leg, one
day when I was meditating, Baba Ji's form appeared before me. Baba
Ji, or rather what seemed to be his form, said: `If, in a case of
emergency, meat and drink are used, there is no harm.' But when I
repeated the Five Names, he got up and walked away. Now because
I had seen Baba Ji in real life and could visualize him, I found out
this trick. But those people who concentrate on the old Masters who
passed away thousands of years ago are likely to be misled. His (the
Saint's) eyes and his forehead cannot be imitated. Hence, you always
require a living teacher for the pupil, a living physician for the sick, a
living husband for the wife and a living ruler for the people. I
maintain that no one else can help a disciple so much as a living
Master.”
Baba Ji indefatigably emphasized the necessity of a living

Master for success in the field. Past Saints may have
explored all the mysteries of the mystic realms and may
even have left accounts of their experiences. But the inner
worlds were indescribable in terms of human language, and
at best they could only speak in hints and parables. Since
these hints and parables were about a realm of experience
completely beyond ordinary human experience, they could
not be fully understood except through the aid of One who
had himself direct access to the experiences they described.
Thus even to understand the true message of past Masters,
one needed a living One, and it was only when Baba Ji met
45
Swami Ji that he understood the full import of the Granth

Sahib and the writings of Kabir and other great Saints. The
spiritual journey was not a matter of intellectual
disquisition. It was a question of practical ascension. Even
for academic knowledge a book could not be a substitute
for the guidance of a perceptive teacher. Then how much
more would this be the case in the spiritual field? The Jiva
Atman was so lost in Maya that, according to Baba Ji, it
could not of its own accord contact the pure Shabd Dhun.
An act of grace alone could put it in touch with the inner
Light and Music, and this grace was the gift of a living
Master: Past Saints were worthy of reverence. Their lives
were luminous signposts always beckoning us toward our
Divine Home. But it was the law of Nature that the living
impulse could only come from the living, and the task they
had performed for their own age must, in ours, be
performed by One who lived amongst us and who had
mastered the way they had mastered. In fact, their writings,
if critically studied, were an endless testimony of the need
for a living Master. Who was a competent living Master and
how was he to be recognized? Baba Ji knew that there were
countless wolves that moved about in sheep's clothing, and
since everything depended on finding the true Guide, he
laid great stress on the need for vigilance and
discrimination.
His early experiences had shown only too well the rarity of
such great Spirits--one perhaps in an age, at times more (as
with Nanak and Kabir, Maulana Rumi and Shamas Tabrez,
Tulsi Sahib and Swami Ji, who were contemporaries during
their respective times) but alas always too few--and a man
was blessed indeed if he could come across such a One.
46
The records of past Saints could be used as a touchstone,

as had been done by Baba Ji during his quest. If a man was
a true Master, and further, a mystic of the highest order, all
obscurities and contradictions that puzzled one while
reading the scriptures would vanish at his touch. He would
not only be able to explain effectively the writings of one
school of mystics, but of all, for he had access to all the
inner realms, not just one. As a lad Baba Ji had met many a
sadhu, but not until he sat at Swami Ji's feet did he begin to
appreciate all the treasures stored in the Granth Sahib.
Mystics of a lower order could interpret records of only
those experiences to which they had access, but One who
had ascended to the highest heights could explain
everything--a point which Baba Ji's meeting with the four
pundits brought out fully.
Another feature of a true Saint was his amazing humility. It
was one of the supreme paradoxes of human life that those
who claimed to be Saints were not, and those who were,
never claimed to be such. Nanak declared himself to be no
more than a slave of the servants of Saints and Swami Ji
maintained unruffled the garb of his humility.
It was not by what a man claimed that he was to be known,
but by what he did; a tree was judged not by its name but
by its fruit; and a Saint was recognized by his perfection as
a man, his freedom from worldly desires, his love and
kindness, his unassuming ways, his concern for the welfare
of others and his unconcern with name and fame. He gave
away his spiritual gifts freely like any other of Nature's
blessings, and maintained himself by his own labors:
47
The perfection of outer conduct was essential as it was only

an indispensable means for reaching the inner goal. Love
and faith for the Satguru, self-surrender and the ethically
unimpeachable life all converged on this center. Man's
ultimate goal was at-one-ment with the Absolute and if this
was not achieved the rest was not of much benefit. It was
this question of actual spiritual ascension that was Baba Ji's
main concern as a teacher. He did not expend much time
on matters of theory. Why dispute? Why argue? he would
say. Turn within, go inside and see for yourself. His
correspondence with Baba Sawan Singh Ji is one long
exhortation to leave the outside world and to retreat to the
world within, and each of his letters has something valuable
to say on the actual practice of spirituality.
Since the soul had fallen a victim to Maya through the Mind
and the senses, the way of liberation for it lay through its
withdrawal from them. The two sadhnas that Baba Ji gave
for practice, as his predecessors had done, were Simran and
Bhajan. The first, involving the repetition of the sacred
names of the Lord, was to be practiced at all hours of the
day. “Always keep the Simran in mind,” he enjoined, “even
while moving or busy at work.” Constant thought of the
Supreme One was the greatest security against worldly
thoughts and desires. It helped the mind in keeping itself
free from its usual preoccupations and when done with full
attention at the time of abhyasa or meditation, it enabled a
speedy collection of the currents of consciousness at the
spiritual center between and behind the eyebrows. Once
such concentration or Dhyan had been attained, one could
get in touch with the Sound Current, and Dhyan (resulting
from Simran) led naturally to Bhajan or absorption into the
48
Shabd Dhun: 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
music of 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. Such
was the general pattern. The details, of course, were
adjustable. The time factor could vary, but daily abhyasa
was to be maintained at all costs:
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. Hazur Baba Sawan Singh Ji also laid great stress on
this:
... no matter in what circumstances one finds himself and what new
problems one is facing, a devotee should not miss his Bhajan. He
may give only fifteen minutes or even five minutes to it daily, but he
should be on it without a break.
There was great beauty in the Shabd. It had a music that

was beyond any music created by man and which drew the
soul toward itself. It was forever calling the spirit toward its
Divine Home and though it was not heard by ordinary
men, yet those who had developed, through abhyasa and
the grace of a Satguru, the capacity of inner hearing, could
hear its melody every minute of the day, now growing
stronger as the mind focused itself at one point, now
49
dimming and fading away as one's thoughts scattered in

various directions and attention was dissipated. It was
Shabd that was the true anchor of the seeker. It was the
conscious power that had brought everything into creation
and it was also one's real Master--the Shabd Guru--for the
Satguru in his human form was its physical manifestation.
Baba Ji once said:
Shabd Dhun--that is our real form. This physical body is only a
garment. Nobody could keep it forever and nobody ever will ...
Believe, O devout ones, that the Shabd form of the Satguru, which
has no beginning and no end, is within the body.
Once one had developed a constant link with this inner

music, it worked as a shield against worldly afflictions and
sorrows. Misfortunes visited everyone and one's past
karmas had to be paid for; but for the man who had rooted
himself in the Shabd Dhun, they had lost their sting. Baba
Ji, speaking mostly to simple villagers, drove home his
teachings through examples and similes based on village
life. Thus explaining the protective power of Shabd, he
would say: The body is like a village or city and the Shabd
Dhun is our own house.
When somebody dies or there is some great suffering in
another house, everyone in that house is very unhappy but
we, in our own house, are quite contented.
Again, clarifying the magnetic power and hold of the inner
music, on another occasion he wrote:
... the Shabd Dhun will pull it (mind) and keep it in the same way as
animals, like goats or cattle, are kept tied by means of a rope.
50
The greatest obstacles to the seeker were the mind and the
senses. It was through their agency that the soul had been
caught in the nets of Maya, and the soul had to disengage
itself from them in order to be free. Shutting out sense
experience was not so difficult. Even when the gates of the
senses had been shut, the mind continued to disturb and
distract. It was the root of the ego principle and, therefore,
the chief cause of the Jiva's isolation from the Universal
Lord. How was this restless dragon to be conquered? Baba
Ji maintained that the chief remedy lay in meditation on the
form of the true Master and absorption in Shabd:
You ask me how to hold your mind. It is held only through Shabd.
Hear its music daily and meditate on the form of Satguru. Then the
mind shall cease to wander and one day, borne on the Shabd Dhun,
the soul shall reach Dasam Dwar (the third inner plane and home of
the Universal Mind). Thus, leaving the mental apparatus behind, the
soul shall unite with the pure Shabd and through the grace of the
Satguru reach Sach Khand. Have no doubt, it shall reach there.
Once the mind had been brought under control and it no

longer doubted and wavered:
Then the Radiant Form of the Master appears within.

There is no difference between it and the physical form. It
is like a reflection in a clear mirror. So long as the glass is
not clear, nothing can be seen reflected.
The mind was indeed a glass, which, when sullied by the
muck-flow of worldly attachments, blurred and hid
everything; but the moment this film was cleansed, it
imaged the Universal in itself. The surat, collected by
Simran at the Tisra Til, shot through it with the aid of the
magnetism of Shabd.
51
As it entered the inner realms, it was met by the Radiant

Form of the Master that welcomed it and thenceforward
guided every step of its inner journey. Once the soul had
won access to the Master in his Radiant Form within, its
major task was over. The rest was a matter of time. It could
of course be taken directly to higher planes by the Satguru,
but he worked out the progress gradually for else, as was
the case with an insistent pundit, the shock and strain of it
would be too great. The Sanchit Karmas (actions of past
lives to fructify in future births) and the Kriyaman Karmas
(actions in this life also to fructify in future ones) had of
course been rendered ineffective the moment the Master
had accepted one in his fold. But the Prarabdha Karmas on
which the present life was based had to be worked out, else
death would immediately ensue. The Master sought to
exhaust these as swiftly and as smoothly as possible. When
Baba Sawan Singh Ji's leg was fractured, Baba Ji revealed
that it was the result of no mere accident but of past karmas
whose fruit could not be avoided. But his suffering if not
wholly canceled had been mitigated through his Satguru's
intercession. “Whatever suffering has come to you,” Baba
Ji wrote, “is only a fifth part, four parts have been
condoned,” and went on to add:
Suffering and troubles are blessings in disguise for they are ordained
by the Lord. If our benefit lies in pain, He sends pain, if in pleasure
He sends pleasure. Pleasures and pains are tests of our strength and
if one does not waver or deflect, then the Almighty blesses such souls
with Naam.
Whatever troubles befell his disciples, Baba Ji told them to

be of good cheer. The sooner their accounts were cleared
the better, and special grace was theirs in the hour of trial:
52
Sickness and pleasures are the fruits of past actions. All those who
are sick are extended special grace. Let them, therefore, have no
worry, but bear it with equanimity. During suffering, the mind
wanders not and turns to Bhajan readily in sorrow. So blessed are the
periods of sickness when the mind is turned toward Bhajan. This is a
special gift to Satsangis. So whenever sickness and pain afflict you,
accept them as the Lord's Will and devote yourself to your spiritual
exercises. So long as the surat is absorbed in the Shabd Dhun, pain
will not be felt ... Has it not been said:
Once one meets a competent Satguru, one learns the complete inner way and
launches on the spiritual journey,
Baba Ji would say,

“There is then only the liquidation of give and take that limits its
flight. The soul is then not pure enough to catch the Divine Shabd
and must be first freed of all karmic reactions. The Satguru must free
it from the chain of karmas in this life itself so as to safeguard against
the necessity of taking further births for their repayment.”
Hence the inevitability of suffering, but fortunately for

Satsangis “years of pain are liquidated in a matter of days.”
The Shabd Dhun was one's guiding angel, one's protecting
charm. If one took refuge in its richness, one's karmas were
steadily burnt away in its purifying flame. As the mind grew
calmer and the karmas got exhausted, the soul was
progressively released from Maya and guided by the
Radiant Master within, penetrating to ever higher inner
planes. The disciple had not to worry. His task was only to
abide by his Guru's commandments, and labor according
to His Will. It was for the Satguru to crown his efforts as
he considered fit and appropriate, for he was the best judge
and did what was best for the disciple:
53
What the Lord considers best He is doing. Do not bring yourself into
the picture. Live by the words of the Master and continue performing
your earthly duties. When the fruit is ripe, it will fall of its own accord
without injury to itself or the bearing branch, and the ripe fruit is held
in great value. But if we pluck the unripe fruit forcibly from off the
tree, the branch is injured and the raw fruit shrivels and is of little
use. Meeting a competent Master is the fulfilment of human birth:
this is the fruit of life. To live by his commandments ensures its
proper nurture. Daily Simran and Bhajan to the maximum possible
are its best food and nourishment, and mergence with Shabd is its
ripening and falling off.
Such was the progress of the soul. Its ripening was a matter
of steady growth. Supported by the words of the Master,
nourished by Bhajan, and borne on the Shabd Dhun, it
transcended realm after realm until it left all coverings of
mind and matter behind and reached Sach Khand. This was
its True Abode, the realm of pure spirit. From there,
merging into the Divine, it receded progressively into the
Formless, until, passing through the Alakh and Agam, it
reached the Anami, the Nameless and Formless source of
all that moves and has its being.
54

BABADONE

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

BABADONE

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

The Soldier

Channan Singh | Sawan Singh | Kirpal Singh

Glimpses of the Life and Teachings

Mt. San Antonio College

First Edition | Trade paperback

Type font: Garamond 14 pt.

Jaimal Singh is a fascinating shabd yoga adept, whose

Although Kirpal Singh has penned a fine biography of the

We are fortunate, however, to have a large correspondence

inner light and inner sound to plunge into the source of

Jaimal Singh was raised a Sikh. Even though he may be

This small book is designed to give a general overview into

For Further Reading

A BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF BABA JAIMAL SINGH

Excerpted from Spiritual Letters

[Editor’s Note: I have kept the capitalizations as found in the original

Baba Ji Maharaj was born in 1839, in the Village of

Shortly afterwards, Baba Ji's father passed away and He

Becoming desperate, He went to Nankana Sahib (where

Baba Ji continued His search and on passing through

the secret of two Sounds would also arrange to give Him

From there He was starting home via Beas when He met a

Then Baba Ji went to him and found that he was a great

in solitary 'abhyas' for the last seventeen or eighteen years,

Thereupon Baba Ji left the place and went straight to Agra,

It was time for Swami Ji's afternoon Satsang, and Baba Ji

Satsang was finished, but Baba Ji and Swami Ji remained

One day Baba Ji was engaged in 'abhyas' in the garden of

When Baba Ji's attention came out, He said to Swami Ji:

up both, Swarath and Parmarth, and try to adapt ourselves

He retired after serving for more than thirty-two years; but

Whenever He took a few days leave from His army unit,

This account was given in March of 1978-- by one of the last

I was born in Bhagowal in East Punjab, near Amritsar.

Before learning of Baba Jaimal Singh Ji, I had a little tame

As I was filled with remorse, I requested her to please take

In those early days no trains stopped at Beas for it was too

I replied, “Sister, you will.” She said, “No, I cannot go.

She sent messages to three people asking them to take me

The next morning Baba Ji Himself sent His own maid

Slowly, slowly we started walking again to Beas, and when

standing there. That is Baba Jaimal Singh.” We continued

I bowed down at His feet. He patted me and said, “The

In those days there were no brick buildings at the Dera,

After a few minutes, Baba Ji asked me “Where have you

I replied, “Babaji, as you order.”

He said, “All right, Come, tell me something.”

I began, “ I have heard that there are thousands and

Babaji replied, “Yes son, if there are any customers.”

“I said, Babaji, I am a customer.”

Baba Ji looked at me and said, “If there is no keen desire

Baba Ji said, “I will ask my master, Soami Ji.”

By that time it was late evening, so Baba Ji asked if I would

I've then returned to my own home but after some time I

Whosoever recites Radhasoami Naam

After a few days I returned yet again and Baba Ji said,

Next time I went, Baba Ji kindly wrote out another Shabd

He replied, “I will look at Sar Bachan and let you know.”

After a little time had passed Baba Ji opened the book at

Turning to me, Babaji called me to him and said, “Child,

When I took Naam I was very small and I always used to

I replied, “Is it not right to do so?”

I then promised, “Master, I will never do this again nor will

But one day Babaji was standing there so I asked him,