Living with the Eternal Truth

The eternal question remains the same in all ages and before all seekers of the truth: “Who am I? and what is the purpose of this life?”

Living with the Eternal Truth explains, in simple language, the main principles of Sufism and the techniques of spiritual training as taught and modified by three great Sufi saints of the past century.

The Naqshbandiya Sufis are called the Golden Sufis or the silent Sufis because they practice silent meditation. They do not use music or dancing or any definite practice. They are not limited to any country or civilization, but work according to the needs of the people at the time.

This path is also known as “Raja Yoga,” in the sense of being kingly or royal, and is considered to be a direct road to Absolute Truth, capable of awakening someone to full perfection in this lifetime.

“One comes nearer to God if there is tranquility and serenity inside the heart. Absolute Truth can be realized only in silence. In this system, the universal Soul speaks to the soul of the individual.... One sheds the ego and purifies the heart, while leading an ordinary life in society.”

Sufis in this lineage live in the world and enjoy material wealth and possessions without being attached to them. Their “way of being” is all-embracing, and can be accepted and incorporated into any religion.

For the Sufi, Love is God—“to realize Love is to realize God”—that is, Love radiates from every part of one’s being—in prayer, as well as in service to humanity.

This book examines how we have lost our real identity due to ignorance of our true nature. To gain eternal bliss, mental balance, and tranquility of mind, we first have to find our true selves.

These three profound and revered Masters have so preserved the teachings, explanations and wisdom of their predecessors that this book will long be a guide for anyone who truly yearns to become a realized being.

Foreword to the Second Edition by Miriam Freedman
Preface
Acknowledgment to Mrs. Irina Tweedie: A Classic Example of the Master-Disciple Relationship
Introduction

Chapter Four: Basant Bhandara Speech of 1958: An Exposition of the Sufi Naqshbandiya Philosophy by Mahatma Radha Mohan Lal Ji
Section 1: Homage to Our Great Saints
Section 2: The Supreme Spiritual Path (Silsila Aliya)
Section 3: A Satguru, or Realized Being
Section 4: Attributes of a Satguru
Section 5: Three Methods of the Path
Section 6: After God’s Love Is Received
Section 7: Duties of a Disciple
Section 8: Three Spiritual States
Epilogue

You will have to come out of your shell of ignorance to find out who you really are. The day you discover your “original face”—your own identity, your own pure self—you will come face to face with Eternal Truth.

How does a person, who has realized their real self, live among the people of the world? The answer to this question will be examined in detail later. Briefly, such a seeker becomes “a totally transformed being” with a marked difference in conduct, speech, behavior, and thinking. Such a one performs all worldly responsibilities as if they were a mandate from God, and in doing so remains unattached. No ego remains within, no personal desires arise. Such a person surrenders completely to the will of God and leads a life in this world as would a guest visiting a respected friend. These blessed beings are always immersed in divine bliss and experience the presence of the supreme being in every object, whether animate or inanimate.

The realization of Absolute Truth is purely a personal experience. No one else will or can do it for you. You yourself have to experience it. Eternal Truth cannot be seen in any tangible sense, as it is beyond the comprehension of the intellect. Faith in the presence of Truth means its realization. Faith in Absolute Truth becomes so deeply ingrained in the heart that even if one is beheaded, the head will say, “I am seeing the Truth.” This happened to Mansur al-Hallaj, one of the truly great Sufi saints, who was beheaded for blasphemy by order of the King. As his head rolled down the stairs, it was still crying, “Anal l-Haque” (I am the Truth).

To experience the presence of Absolute Truth, you have to come out of your deep slumber. You have to awaken yourself. You have to create awareness of yourself within yourself. There is a story: A disciple went to the Master and said, “Can you give me a word of wisdom to guide me through life.” The Master was observing silence on that day, so he picked up a pen and paper and wrote, “Awareness.” The disciple said, “That is too brief to understand. Can you explain it further?” The Master again wrote on the pad, “Awareness, Awareness, Awareness.” The disciple said, “Yes, that is clear, but what does it mean?” The Master took back the pad and wrote, “Awareness means Awareness.”

Living with the Eternal Truth

Ravindra Nath