Kirpal Singh

Param Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj, appointed by Hazur Baba Sawan Singh Ji Maharaj as his successor, spread the teachings of Sant Mat all over the world through three world tours and travel in India. To make mysticism understood by people in the west, he presented spirituality as a science, one that could be practiced as an experiment within the laboratory of human body.

It is said that he devoted his entire life to love of God and service to humanity, demonstrating how it was possible to live a normal life in the world, attain spiritual enlightenment, and serve humanity. He devised an introspection diary for his initiates, a tool to help them analyze their lives in order to develop the qualities of nonviolence, truthfulness, purity, humility, and selfless service. During his mission, he initiated over 80,000 people into the Mysteries of the Beyond.

He believed in human unity and world peace. In 1956 he gave the inaugural address to the Ninth General Session of UNESCO held in New Delhi, India. His speech, “World Peace in the Atomic Age,” is believed by his followers to be a road map for obtaining and maintaining world peace. Kirpal Singh’s ability to unite people of different religions based on the commonality of all faiths resulted in his being unanimously elected President of World Fellowship of Religions Conferences held in 1957, 1960, 1965, and 1970. These conferences brought heads of different religions together in order to understand one another in a spirit of love and respect.

He founded Sawan Ashram in Delhi and in 1969 established Manav Kendra, a center to help people develop physically, mentally, and spiritually, while practicing service to humanity and the environment.

In February 1974, he convened the first Unity of Man Conference (now called the Human Unity Conference) in Delhi, aimed at uniting people not only at the level of religion, but at the level of their common humanity. He taught that God is one, though called by different names in different countries and religions. It was his lifelong work to help break down the barriers that separated people and unite them as one common family.

His books gained popularity and inspired people to develop spiritually. Among those are: Crown of Life; A study in Yoga; Prayer: Its Nature and Technique; and Naam or Word, all of which bring out the underlying similarities in different religions.

Numerous religious, civic, and social heads honored his work. He was the first non-Christian to be awarded the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Knights of Malta. On his tours he met with Pope Paul VI in Rome where they exchanged views on world peace. In Colombia, South America, he addressed the Council of Cali.

In India, leaders came to him to share ideas on peace and unity. He met with Mr. Jawahar Lal Nehru and Mr. Lal Bahadur Shastri, the first and second prime ministers of India, and Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, and Dr. Zakir Hussain, the first, second, and third presidents of India. He also met with Mrs. Indira Gandhi on several occasions. In August 1974, he addressed the Indian Parliament, giving them his message of peace and hope for the future of humanity.