Ghani asked, "Why did Ghous Ali Shah have to contact nineteen different Masters — eleven Mohammedans and eight Hindus — prior to God-realization? Why was it necessary for him to contact so many Spiritual Masters?"
Baba replied:
In actuality, God-realization is always given by only one Master. But to gain normal consciousness and Knowledge, it is sometimes necessary to contact other Masters. It is also very often the case that the Sadguru who realizes a person also brings him back to gross consciousness.
In my case, Babajan gave me God-realization in a moment by lifting the veil, but for worldly consciousness and Knowledge I had to spend seven years with Upasni Maharaj.
During this period of my return to normal consciousness, I had connection with other Perfect Masters, and I contacted them, too. Thus, if a Sadguru realizes or advances one, he is then entitled to be called one's Murshid or Master; although, as far as Realization is concerned, there is only one Master.
Ghani then asked why an authorization in writing — known as sanad-e-vilayat — is required prior to a saint's being put in charge of a spiritual jurisdiction. He cited the incident of the Mohammedan saint, Ali Ahmed Sabir, who was ordered by his Master to obtain the authority of his sainthood signed and have it endorsed by another Master, Hazrat Jamal Hansvi, prior to assuming his duty as the chargeman of the town of Kalyar (near Roorkee).1
Baba gave this explanation:
A signed letter or document is one of the ways of transferring the spiritual charge externally. During my last four months in Sakori, I myself had to take the charge from Upasni Maharaj in writing. The [government] stamped paper and other agreements I have dictated and had executed from the mandali, although not as important as the sanad-e-vilayat, still are not without deep meaning and spiritual significance.
The spiritual transfer of power and authority that takes place between a Master and disciple must always be symbolized by giving it a concrete external form. Among Mohammedan walis and pirs, such saints invariably give their chosen chargemen the "robe" of chargemanship in the form of some wearing apparel, like a cap, a turban, an apron, or some other such tangible token.2
In celebration of Maha Shivratri (a Hindu festival of Lord Shiva), the Hindu mandali from Poona were invited to Bombay on 11 February 1923. During the Gutta meeting, Baba expressed concern about how they could accommodate their guests and, at the same time, prevent contamination, since there was plague in Poona.
Footnotes
- 1.Ali Ahmed Sabir (1196–1294; also known as Alauddin Ali Ahmed Kaliyari) was the nephew and disciple of the Perfect Master Baba Farid Shakkar Ganj.
- 2.An example of the "robe of chargemanship" is the case of Sai Baba and his Master Gopal Rao, who presented Sai with his dhoti. Sai Baba had the dhoti sewed into a kafni which he always wore.