Tulsi Sahib

Translator: Geeta
Publisher: MSAC Philosophy Group
Publication date: 1996

E-mail David Christopher Lane directly at dlane@weber.ucsd.edu

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Tulsi Sahib

Translation of his life by Geeta from the introduction to the Hindi book, Ghat Ramayana, done exclusively for the MSAC Philosophy Group.

When Tulsi Sahib was born is not indicated in Surat Vilas; however, it is written that he left his body approximately at the age of eighty years in Jayth Sudi-2 in Vikrami Samvat 1899 or 1900. (according to English system in the year 1842 or 1843). This indicates that he was born in 1820 according to the Indian calendar (which is the year 1763 by the English system). His grave is present in Hath Ras where many people visit, and a big fair is held once a year.

Although Tulsi Sahib left this world only less than seventy years ago, his adherents had made his life history so confusing that people think this event happened millions of years ago. Munshi Devi Prashad who is a preceptor of this teaching has also not tried to clear this confusion in his role in Ghat-Ramayan. We have asked many saints and Grihastas (second of the four phases of life) who belonged to the same teaching about Tulsi Sahib's lifetime which they estimated about three hundred and fifty years ago when Go Swami Tulsi Das Je was born, the author of the world renowned book, "Sampurn Ramayan." At the very end of Ghat Ramayan, Tulsi Sahibji has explained that he himself was Go Swami Tulsi Das in his previous life and wrote Ghat Ramayan, but due to large protests by other priests and preachers, he decided to keep Ghat Ramayan's secret for the time being and wrote Sampurn Ramayan at its place. From this people came up with the conclusion that Tulsi Sahib revealed Ghat Ramayan during his second life period, one hundred and forty years after his previous life. However, people have a doubts in believing that whether seventy or seventy five years after Tulsi Sahib's death there existed any saint in Hath Ras where his grave is still located who held satsang and gave preachings. We certainly have no doubt to believe in such a great figure since two evidential satsangis (followers) are still alive who saw Sahibji in their boyhood and Tulsi Sahib showed his Ghat Ramayan to one of them.

After understanding Sahibji's teachings, their disciples strongly think about the fact that he did not have any guru. There is no doubt that Tulsi Sahib himself was a saint, and he had no need to have a guru, but only for the sake of dignity he might have appointed someone his guru and for that purpose Sant Satguru Kabir Sahib and numerous other saints, for instance, are known to have existed.

Tulsi Sahib oftentimes went to far situated cities outside Hath Ras, covering his back with a blanket and holding a stick in his hand. In the village of Jogia which is one mile from Hath Ras, he held many satsangs and initiated many people to follow the way of truth. Tulsi Sahib used to be a great thinker, and during that intense period, highly critical words would come out of his mouth as the wave coming out of the ocean. These kinds of words are found in his book, Shabdavali.

Many disciples of Tulsi Sahib are still present in thousands of Indian cities. His famous books are Ghat Ramayan, Shabdavali, and Ratnsagar. Tulsi Sahib had openly criticized many famous dogmas, like Bhed, Kteb, Kuran, Puran, Ram, and Rahim and for this reason he was seen as a slanderer and a rebellious being, but this is a misunderstanding in people's minds. After logically going through Tulsi Sahib's poetry, it is quite clear that his aim was not to defame anybody but to clearly state how much knowledge each had. His point was that one should worship and dedicate only to the greatest and the ruler of the entire universe who possesses every single thing instead of dedicating to the spiritual beings because our dedication towards them requires the same hard work, but we will not reach to the same horizon. In other words, the devotee's desire would not be fulfilled, and he would not be freed from transmigration. The cycle of birth and death would continue since these people are themselves gripped by illusion, no matter how little the illusion is.

E-mail The Neural Surfer directly at dlane@weber.ucsd.edu

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