Document #2
DECLARATION OF KIRPAL SINGH CONCERNING HIS SUCCESSOR:
“HE WILL NOT BE A MEMBER OF MY FAMILY.”
(Tustin, USA, Dec. 1963)
EDITOR'S NOTE: We are grateful to Dr. Jones, a distinguished disciple of long standing and author of The Harvest is Rich: The Mission of Kirpal Singh, for permission to print the following account which was originally a section of a letter to Reno Sirrine. While names of most of the persons present have been deleted to avoid dragging them into the spotlight, it should be noted that Dr. John Lovelace, our Master's Representative in Northern California for many years, was present at the meeting referred to below and confirms Dr. Jones's memory of it.
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WHILE NONE OF US wants to be involved in controversy, which is
demeaning to the supernal Name and Mission of our Master, it is necessary to answer those dear ones who are perplexed by what is going on. In our Satsangs—and to people who have phoned, called and written to us—we have stressed the simple and direct instructions of our Master to all initiates; we have stressed a positive outlook towards the future and the necessity of following Master's commandments faithfully and sincerely. Nevertheless, people need answers and we must give them to the best of our understanding; and I realize that we all have a responsibility, even if we are loth to become caught up in the new maelstrom of emotionalism.
You may have heard the following account from anyone who may have attended the pre-Christmas meeting in Tustin in 1963. However, if you feel this may be relevant to current problems—here is my account. A number of us were holding a late evening meeting to discuss the formation of the proposed corpora-tion.
Master left the room, for He said that this was the business of American Satsangis. During the initial discussion, Walter stated quite diffidently that we would have to be cognisant of the fact that Master would leave one day; and then the question of the future of the corporation would have to be made clear. During the ensuing discussion, Darshan Singh's name was mentioned. But the significant thing was that Master returned to the room later and asked if we had concluded our plans. Naturally, we hadn't and so Master started to get the ball rolling. Walter Cowan apologetically stated that we had to consider whether or not the corporation would continue under the leadership of Mas-ter's successor, in the event of Master's final departure from this plane.
Master said (substantially) : "At this time I know of nobody who is competent to take on this work; whether someone comes up in the future is in God's hands." Then He stated most forcefully: "Whoever may come up in the future, I tell you most definitely that he will NOT be a member of my family!" Naturally, I cannot give Master's words verbatim, but I remember the forceful impression they made on me. It seemed to me that Master had received the impression that Darshan's name had been mentioned in this regard, and, quite naturally, Master would know all the potentiality for controversy in the future.
Obviously, I realize that someone else may have informed you about that meeting (it was a short time before Master's departure for Houston).
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Sources
From Sat Sandesh, the Magazine of the Master, Nov. 1974, page 26
Original document:
http://www.ruhanisatsangusa.org/pdf/ss74/ss197411.pdf