A Child’s Remembrance of Baba Jaimal Singh by Channan Singh

A Child’s Remembrance of Baba Jaimal Singh by Channan Singh found in, The Soldier Sage of Beas: Glimpses of the Life and Teachings of Baba Jaimal Singh, by David Lane. This account was given in March of 1978 by one of the last surviving disciples of Baba Jaimal Singh Ji (1838–1903).

Below are excerpted a few interesting and informative stories from this collection.

After the Passing of Soami Ji Maharaj Radha Ji Instructed Bibi Rukko to Stay with Jaimal Singh

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 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?”

“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.”

Baba Jaimal Would Copy Shabads (Hymns) of Soamiji Maharaj from the Sar Bachan Radhasoami Poetry

“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 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 **.”

[Note: * Manglacharan, a term used for the opening portion of a prayer or sacred text, is at the very beginning of Sar Bachan Radhasoami Poetry, Volume One, by Soamiji Maharaj.]

[Note: ** “Shabds which give details of all the higher spiritual regions”, very much the focus of the Sar Bachan Poetry volumes especially the section called Hidayat Namah (Esoteric Instructions).]

Jaimal Had Some Prashad of Soami Ji Stored in a Box Within a Box

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.”

I just said, “This is up to you, for I do not know ifI 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.”

Jaimal’s Reverence for the Adi Granth (Sikh Scriptures)

Baba Ji made us sit in the room where the Adi Granth was kept wrapped under a white cloth.

Rare Photo of Jaimal

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.

NDE/OOBE

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 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.”

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.

An Earthenware Pot That Kept On Giving

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.