Esteemed worldwide as a Saint of the 20th century, the embodiment of kindness and mercy, He gave out the living knowledge of the true nature of man whose aim is to return to his origin – God and emphasized the value and dignity of each individual as a conscious being or soul.
Sant Kirpal Singh was a Sat Guru of the Sant Mat tradition who treated spirituality as a science. His universal teaching centered on God and focused on serving humanity and developing into a true human being.
He never refused the idea of molding all religions into one but pointed out their common core in all His talks, lectures, and writings. His books were translated into several languages. His practical spiritual experience guided disciples from different faiths and various nations to a deeper understanding of their own religion.
World Fellowship of Religions
In 1957, Sant Kirpal Singh was elected President of the World Fellowship of Religions, presiding over four World Conferences for 14 years. In 1962, he was awarded the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, Knights of Malta, the first non-Christian to receive that honor.
Visiting the West
Three World Tours led Him to the West in 1955, 1963-64, and 1972, where He gave public lectures in the major cities of Europe and America and met many religious, political, and social leaders.
Manav Kendras Centers
By the end of the '60s, he had developed the concept of "Manav Kendras"—centers for the comprehensive development of man, with social and agricultural facilities, starting with a center in the Himalayas.
Punjab Tour 1973 – Commissioning the Future Manav Kendra
During His last Punjab tour in October 1973, Sant Kirpal Singh visited Nag Kalan (near Amritsar), the hometown of His disciple Dr. Harbhajan Singh. On October 14, he laid the foundation stone of the eye clinic.
After laying the foundation stone, Sant Kirpal Singh asked Dr. Harbhajan Singh if he had any wishes as he had never demanded anything from Him. He said, "My only wish is that Your mission should flourish throughout the world." Sant Kirpal Singh was pleased and replied, "So far, nobody has demanded such things. It will happen like this. This power will work with thousands of hands, and many people in the world have the right understanding. They all will come together and work with you."
On 24 October, Sant Kirpal Singh visited His little farm in Nawanshahar along with Dr. Harbhajan Singh and said, "The Manav Kendra I wanted to build is not yet built; it will be built here." He took one rice crop and some water there and said, "Time will come when people from all over the world of all religions will come, and it will be a common platform for all." This place is now named Kirpal Sagar.
World Conference on the Unity of Man
The outer climax of His work was the calling of the "World Conference on Unity of Man" from 3-6 February 1974 in Delhi. Two thousand delegates from all over the world and about 50,000 non-delegates participated. Among the distinguished guests - religious, spiritual, and political leaders - was the Prime Minister of that time, Mrs. Indira Gandhi, with cabinet members.
At the Khumba Mela
Though he was eighty, his untiring efforts on behalf of unity continued. On 12 April 1974, at the famous Kumbha Mela at Hardwar, he organized a large number of sadhus and holy men into the National Unity Conference, pledged to work together for the elimination of religious strife and the economic uplift of the poor - nobody before had been able to convince the traditionally independent sadhus to join for a common good.
Speech at the Indian Parliament
On August 1, 1974, Sant Kirpal Singh addressed a session of the Indian Parliament at the request of his members – the first time in history that a spiritual leader was invited to give an address to the parliament.
Commissioning the further work
Until 17 August, Sant Kirpal Singh continuously had heart-to-heart talks with several Western disciples who stayed at His center in Delhi.
Four days later, on 21 August 1974, Sant Kirpal Singh left His body forever in the presence of Dr Harbhajan Singh, whom he commissioned to carry on His noble work. Sant Kirpal Singh guaranteed that He Himself would be responsible for the inner work in the coming time, and conscious people or Gurmukhs (developed disciples) would explain the theory and give a practical example of a spiritual life.
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