Gaia: Inner Light and Sound Meditation, Surat Shabd Yoga, SantMat,

Click Anytime to Hear the July Sant Mat PODcast at BlogTalkRadio

http://SantMat.gaia.com — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 05:22:40 GMT

Click Anytime to Hear the July Sant Mat PODcast at BlogTalkRadio, on the Path of Divine Love and Inner Light & Sound Meditation

GO TO:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/SantMatFellowship

Program Length: 27 Minutes

Program Contents - The July Sant Mat Satsang PODcast

The July Sant Mat Satsang PODcast: Mystic-Poetry (Bhajans) - Readings from The Adi Granth and from the Dadu Panch Vani: verses from Sant Dadu Dayal; the article: "Do Simran -- Do the Meditation", by Swami Sant Harinandan Baba, translated from Hindi into English by Pravesh Kumar Singh; The Ethical Foundation of Sant Mat: The Five Precepts and Meditation Requirements; a reading from a quintessential manual of Sant Mat teachings and practice known as, "The Philosophy of Liberation", by Sant Maharshi Mehi on: the inner spiritual technology, steps, stages, and stairway of heaven known as "The Eight Limbs of Yoga": YAMA: satya (truthfulness), ahimsa (non-violence in thought, word, and deed), asteya (non-stealing), brahmacarya (continence), and aparigraha (control of greed -- non-possessiveness). NIYAMA also consists of five practices: sauca (internal and external purity), santosha (contentment), tapas (penance), svadhyaya (study of scriptures and wisdom of the Sants), and isvara pranidhana (meditation on GOD); ASANA: correct posture in meditation; PRANAYAMA or breath control, which is, for the most part, not emphasized in contemporary Sant Mat Meditation; PRATYAHARA: withdrawal or sensory transcendence, as well as it means to bring back, as in refocusing oneself again whenever one notices that one has lost focus during their meditation sit; DHARANA: an increment of time characterized as quality meditation -- good concentration; DHYANA: one-pointed attention, stillness, also meaning true meditation or contemplation - not to be confused with the term "Dhyan" (visualizing or seeing the form of a Master, though of course that too is part of, or a stage of, traditional Sant Mat Meditation); SAMADHI: the bliss of being completely absorbed in meditation, unity, union with God, oneness. There are also readings on Amrit Veela/Brahmamuhurta/The Hour of God, and a list of some of the Sounds of Surat Shabd Yoga.

Sat Naam, Jai Guru, Radhaswami,

James

Satsang Discourse: Tulsi, Devi, Mehi, SantSevi, Bhagirath Baba

http://SantMat.gaia.com — Sat, 02 May 2009 21:08:52 GMT

Spiritual
Satsang Discourse Featuring the Teachings of Param Sant Tulsi Sahib,
Baba Devi Sahab, Maharshi Mehi Paramahans, Swami Sant Sevi Ji Maharaj,
and Shri Bhagirath Baba

Sant Mat Fellowship:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SantMatFellowship
{"Repeat the Name of your Beloved, day and night, again
and again. With care in thought, word and deed, you will
cross to the other shore." -- Sant Dadu Dayal}

Four Shabds (Hymn, Mystic Poems) of Param Saint Tulsi Sahib of Hathras,
from the book, Param Sant Tulsi Saheb, S.D. Maheshwari, Agra, India

Shabd 88

Peeping through the latticed screen, I had a glimpse of the Beloved. O
friend ! I sacrifice myself before my Sat Guru. (1) He gave me the eyes
and took care of my Surat and through His grace I could know of the
Abode of the Infinite Being. (2) I proceeded to the unique cave in
Gagan where neither the sun nor the moon has any access. (3) Says
Tulsi, Surat prepared the Beloved's bed and, lying there, enjoyed great
bliss. (4)

Shabd 89

Listen, O friend ! Great is the status of Sants. It is beyond the reach
of Yoga and such other methods or practices. (1) In that region of
Sants [in the Soundless, Formless Plane Above] there is neither sound
nor any form. It is beyond Sunn and Maha-sunn. (2) The Gunas and
Nirguna have no access there. Sat Nam is the Beloved's region, which
the Jiva should attain. (3) Says Tulsi, he knows the True Name of the
Abode of the August, Nameless and Infinite Being. (4)

Shabd 90

O Friend ! My Guru showed me the way through which I could see the
Invisible One. When I could recognize the current of spirituality
coming from above, I constantly applied my Surat to it. (1) Unique is
the spectacle seen on the peak in the sky and I made my Surat
participate in the activities going on there, all the time. (2) By
lifting the barrier beyond the door on the West, that is, beyond Sunn,
I gained access to Sat Lok. (3) Says Tulsi, the Essence resides within
the human body, and therein can Atma be found. (4)

Shabd 91

Friend ! I searched further ahead and, after ascending, merged my Surat
in Gagan (Trikuti). Proceeding still further I found a path as subtle
as a spider's thread, along which, I quickly elevated my Surat. (1) I
then beheld Man-sarovar and, taking my seat at the Ghat (bathing place)
of Triveni, I bathed in its waters. (2) Withdrawing myself from there
and proceeding further within, I saw a unique spectacle of the
refulgence of a crore of suns pervading all round. (3) At its middle or
centre, I found a door through which I could see a Being who has been
described as the Source. (4) Says Tulsi, by applying my Surat to Shabd
within, I merged it in the region of Guru. (5) (Param Saint Tulsi Sahib
of Hathras)

Sayings of Baba Devi Sahab (Pravesh K. Singh translation)

"Do not live even a single day without inner meditation."

"Such persons who are all the time busy in mundane worldly affairs and
are not able to spare even one or two hours a day (for meditation), are
not fit to be initiated into inner meditation, for even if these
persons get to know about the way to the inner secrets, of what use it
would be to them!"

"What is important is not to live a single day in life without
practicing meditation, all the experiences of pains & pleasures of
the world, one has to go through, notwithstanding."

"The loftiest or the highest outcome of adopting and following the ways
of these (Sants) is that it takes one beyond 'aawaagaman' (the
repetitive cycles of birth & death)."

"So, we should go to that place where the way to remove these veils is
taught. In the terminology of Sants and noble people, such a place is
called `satsang' where methods are taught to inculcate bhakti [love and
devotion] and remove the veils that keep it under-cover".

"God and bhakti are otherwise one and the same thing".

"In short, bhakti is such a thing without which no worldly or heavenly
acts can be accomplished. He alone is a human being (in the true sense)
who knows the key to or secret of bhakti. He whose heart is devoid of
the spirit of love is not even as good as an animal; he is rather much
more inferior to that".

"Bhakti is that essential substance without which any work, either of
this world or of the other world, can not be fulfilled; for all such
tasks which a man performs with genuine zeal get accomplished well, and
all other works in which we do not feel sincerely involved remain
incomplete or are only half done".

"What is most significant about bhakti is that is opens up inside man
the easy pathway to God, treading on which man reaches his centre or
destination from where he never (needs to) return".

"The other Music or Sound is internal and the way to listen to that is
by focusing our attention on the internal `Shabd' or Sound which is
Ringing within each one of us. Shabd is a highly precious wealth in the
life of every human being. So long as this Shabd is present in a man he
is alive; as soon as the Shabd exits, it is the end of him.".

"It is the highest duty of every individual to acquire experiential
Knowledge of this Shabd, and to investigate or explore the Origin or
Source from where this Shabd flows out".

"Our Lord resides in all (of us). He, our Lord, is so wonderful that
though He pervades everything, (yet) He is separate from and transcends
everything. It is not possible to see Him (in His true form) without
meeting, and learning the secrets from, (the accomplished) Guru. He is
blessed and adorable within whose body He reveals Himself."

When Sadguru Baba Devi Sahib was nearing the time of his departure from
this ephemeral world for his true destination, satsangis humbly
requested him to bless with his parting words. To their request, Baba
Devi Sahab had obliged by saying, "Duniyaa waham hai, abhyaas karo",
meaning, "This world is an illusion -- practice meditation." (Baba Devi
Sahab)

Below is from the Padavali of Maharshi Mehi Paramhans

56
Inside one’s body, one witnesses unique and most delightful performances,
In the centre of the eyebrows, you fix firmly your Surat [attention-faculty of the soul],
Watch the wonderful light inside your body,
As you see that light try to experience it;
It is difficult to know its reality by describing or hearing it;
It is to be sought inside one’s own body only.
Within the body itself is Sagun [form], Nirgun [formless] and the abode of the Lord;
If you do not believe, you serve Sadguru, abandoning your pride,
Even now is alive in the world Baba Devi Sahib, the light of knowledge,
Who specifically teaches the means of inner worship;
Mehi says, one going to his shelter, gets inexplicable joy inside one’s body.

57
O devotee! There is a wonderful display within this body,
In the darkness of this body is the sky studded with the stars, the Moon and the Sun,
There is the subtle body within the gross one and in that subtle body is the causal one,
And yet there is the fourth one, that is, the supra-causal body,
The fifth body, that is, Kaivalya (Oneness) is without attributes and full of knowledge,
Mehi says, the Quintessential Word along with the Absolute, is present in one’s body. (Maharshi Mehi)

Couplets of Swami Sant Sevi Ji Maharaj

Begin meditation with internally chanting or repeating the
Guru-mantra-incantation (the charged words given by the Guru). And then
visualize the radiant form or image of the Satguru in the still
darkness of the inner sky (with eyes closed). Follow that with focusing
your attention at the seat of the soul within, i.e. at the Third Eye or
the Inner Eye or the Til Dwaar, by making the two streams of
consciousness in your two eyes converge in a Point.

When the two currents of consciousness meet in a Point, Divine Light
appears within. Then, practice Surat Shabd Yoga (Yoga of Divine Sound)
i.e., try to shift your attention to listening to the Divine Sounds or
myriads of melodies (Anahad Naad) ringing inside. Listening to the
Divine Sound destroys all the perversions, agitations and fickleness of
the mind.

Ascending beyond or transcending myriads of sounds, try to identify and
tune in to the Quintessential Unstruck Melody, called "Saar Shabd" or
"Anaahat Naad" which alone is capable of taking you and merging you
into oneness with the Supreme Lord; this is the ultimate deliverance,
emancipation, welfare, or liberation. (Sant Sevi Ji)

Shri Bhagirath Baba on Manas Jappa - Simran - Name Repetition Done With Devotion and Love (Prem-Bhakti)

There are three layers (coverings) over the Jeevaatmaa (Individual
Soul). Those are: darkness, light and sound. Darkness is the shadow of
the light. This darkness is the first layer on the Jeeva (individual
soul) whom all beings see. One who crosses this layer of darkness
through a special kind of meditation sees the inner Light within
oneself. This inner Light is called Aatma-Aalok (Light of the self) or
Brahma-Prakash (Divine Light), on achieving it, Divya-Drishti (Divine
Eye, Third Eye) opens completely. One should repeat (reiterate) the
Guru-instructed mantra within the mind, gazing into the darkness that
appears while closing the eyes. This process is called Maanas Jap. In
doing this process neither lips are oscillated nor the tongue. Instead,
the mantra (word or name given by Guru) is repeated within, through the
mind. This Jap is actually a kind of meditation. Repeating mantra
through the mind is to call the Ishta (the tutelary deity, most
beloved, Sadguru) near oneself. So, Jaapak (a practitioner who does
Jap) should perform Jap with great love. He (Ishta, Guru) becomes
happy/merciful if one does Jap with immense love and devotion, and he
appears at will.

The practitioner who does Jap sitting in a secluded place with the
right method and immense love, becomes the excellent devotee. Sant
Charan Das says:

"Sakal shiromani naam hai, sab dharman ke maahi |
Ananya bhakta wah jaaniye, sumiran bhoolai naahi ||"
[Name (Jap) is the crown of all and has been described in all creeds.
Know that person as the superior devotee who never forgets Jap.]

By doing Jap, the mind and heart become devotionally pure, morale is
uplifted, one gets strength in inner meditation. Japaat Siddhi (divine
power after getting perfection in Jap) is obtained. By doing Jap, so
much sanctity begins to flow within the body and mind of the
practitioner (Jaapak) that the vibration or wave of Jap (mantra the
practitioner repeats) penetrates (flows into) whatever the practitioner
touches. (Gurusevi Shri Bhagirath Baba)

Spiritual Awakening Radio: Inner Vision & the Vegetarian Diet

http://SantMat.gaia.com — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 14:23:13 GMT

Spiritual Awakening Radio: Inner Vision & the Vegetarian Diet

Posted on Apr 24th, 2009
by SantMat_Mystic_(James)

Spiritual Awakening Radio: Inner Vision & the Vegetarian Diet

Vegetarian Diet, the World Religions, Seeing inner Light & the Single Eye:

10 AM Pacific/11 AM Mountain/
NOON Central/1 PM Eastern Time

Streaming Live at
http://www.HealthyLife.NET
(Click on the blue "listen live" button.)

Repeated Again Sunday at Noon Eastern, which is 11 AM Central, 10 AM Mountain and 9 AM Pacific Time, streaming via

http://www.HealthyLife.NET
(Click on the blue "listen live" button.)

This
new program will be archived and made available online on-demand via my
audio archive page, a library of 13 shows you can hear anytime! GO TO:

http://www.HealthyLife.Net/RadioShow/archiveSPA.htm

All for the Love of Wisdom and Radio,

James

New Satsang Podcast Available: Sant Mat Radio, Know Thyself

http://SantMat.gaia.com — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 19:57:40 GMT

New Satsang Podcast Available: Sant Mat Radio, Know Thyself

BlogTalkRadio, My Monthly Satsang Podcast: The Theme
is "KNOW THYSELF": Click to Listen -- Play or Download at:
http://www.BlogTalkRadio.com/SantMatFellowship

(Program Length: 39 Minutes)

The March Satsang Available Online at Blog Talk Radio

A wide variety of readings from the writings of the Sant tradition and other world scriptures with the theme of knowing one's Self and God: the recitation of several bhajans (mystical hymns, devotional poems) from classic Saints of India including from the Adi Granth, Dasam Granth, Huzur Maharaj (Rai Saligram). Also on the theme of knowing one's Self, readings from: The Bijak of Kabir, Saakhi Granth of Kabir, The Stranger of Galilee by Russell Perkins (who has some great passages from Kirpal Singh), also a couple of selections from the sayings of Lord Mahavira (Jainism) and the Gospel of Thomas (Gnostic); and, a Bhakti Approach to Simran (Radhasoami Naam) according to the Founder of the
Radhasoami Faith.

Satsang is an Eastern term used by Indian spiritual paths including Sant Mat for a meeting or spiritual gathering either facilitated by a living Master (Sant Sat Guru), representative or group leader affiliated with such a living teacher. The facilitator reads from the writings of various Masters, perhaps making some comments. The focus is always the words and the wisdom of the Masters about the essential truths of the spiritual journey, knowing God, Bhakti (love and devotion), right conduct and ahimsa (non-violence in thought, word and deed), effective meditation practice: Soul Travel: Surat Shabd Yoga: Inner Light and Sound Meditation, the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God or Inner Space.

In the Love, Light, and Sound of the Beloved,

James

Hear Raw Foodist David Wolfe Friday on Spiritual Awakening Radio

http://SantMat.gaia.com — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 00:24:52 GMT

Hear Raw Foodist David Wolfe Friday on Spiritual Awakening Radio

Posted on Mar 10th, 2009
by SantMat_Mystic_(James)

Hear Raw Foodist David Wolfe Friday on Spiritual Awakening Radio

Friday on Spiritual Awakening (repeated Sunday) on
Healthy Life Net -- The Positive Talk Radio Network

Spiritual Awakening Radio is heard Fridays at

1 PM Eastern Time,

which is Noon Central,

11 AM Mountain, and

10 AM Pacific Time

(6 PM in the UK).

There are also encore repeat broadcasts, twelve hours later, on Friday nights, and on.................

Sundays at Noon Eastern,

which is 11 AM Central,

10 AM Mountain, and

9 AM Pacific Time

(5 PM in the UK).

To hear this program online as streaming audio, GO TO:

http://www.HealthyLife.net

and
click the blue "LISTEN LIVE" button, which will activate your windows
media player or default player for web audio (.ASX files).

NOTE:
This
new program later on Friday will also be archived and available for
download for the next 15 weeks at my Spiritual Awakening Radio Archive
Page via HealthyLifeNet. GO TO:

http://www.HealthyLife.net/RadioShow/archiveSPA.htm

and at that time click on show title: 3/13 Be Veg. Go Green. Save the Planet, Part 5: David Wolfe.

Namaste!

James
Spiritual Awakening Radio Website:
http://www.SpiritualAwakeningRadio.com

Tour the Amazing Inner World of Brilliant Lights & Melodies

http://SantMat.gaia.com — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 23:06:26 GMT

Tour the Amazing Inner World of Brilliant Lights & Breathtaking Melodies

Sant Mat Fellowship:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SantMatFellowship
{"Repeat the Name of your Beloved, day and night, again and again. With care in thought, word and deed, you will cross to the other shore." -- Dadu}

[English translation of a wonderful verse composed by Maharshi Mehi Paramhans ji Maharaj(28.04.1885- 08.06.1986) , based on its Hindi Translation by Maharshi Santsewi Ji Paramhans, in which Maharshi Mehi depicts beautifully his own experiences of spiritual meditation (Meditation on the Yoga of Divine Light & the Yoga of Divine Sound), excerpted from his book "Mehi Padavali" (Poems of Mehi).

-Translated into English by Pravesh K. Singh (http://groups. yahoo.com/ group/sant_ santati , http://blog. 360.yahoo. com/praveshksing h ) ]

N.B.

To prevent the post from getting lengthy, the original verse is not produced here.

Translation:

Aril

I (Maharshi Mehi Paramhans ji Maharaj) illustrate the precepts of Santmat for the beneficence of spiritual practitioners.
I describe these principles in the form of aril verses (a literary style of poetry), knowing & practicing which correctly, the practitioners will become truly fortunate or blessed.
These precepts, each one of these, are invaluable or priceless.
Bowing my head, says Maharshi Mehi Paramhansji Maharaj, in obeisance at the lotus feet of the sants I am going to describe whatever I desire to say. ||1||

Serve the sants daily and attend satsang in their noble company.
Listen attentively to their life-giving words and imbibe them whole heartedly.
Reflect upon these discourses. And, if you are not able to understand these fully, go back and learn again from them (sants).
Inline with the knowledge thus gained, advises Maharshi Mehi Paramhansji Maharaj, mold your behaviour/conduct accordingly. ||2||

Having gathered knowledge (in Satsang) thus, search for a true teacher (Guru) and select a true preceptor/Guru.
All the ways of, or efforts at, seeking Self-Realisation without (or, in absence of) the guidance of a True Guru are incomplete, imperfect, doubtful (of yielding desirable results).
I am going to narrate, states Maharshi Mehi Paramnsji Maharaj, in the form of the following kundaliyaa chhand (another literary style of poem composition) as to how to identify a true Guru.
If you finally get one such Guru with the grace of God, serve him throwing away or sacrificing your personal ego. ||3||

Kundaliya

He who knows the way to liberation, he who practices meditation everyday
And while doing so lives in this world with a true & pure heart.
Who loves Satsang fortifying his detachment (with things worldly) everyday…
Who destroys faulty thinking or evil thoughts (of his disciples) by imparting the right knowledge…
Who firmly implants the precepts of Santmat in our minds clarifying all our doubts…
He and he only (who is gifted with all the above virtues), having a true & pure heart, says Maharshi Mehi Paramhansji Maharaj, can be a Guru.

Aril

Utter pleasant truth, and shun stealing.
Give up taking to, or consuming, intoxicating substances, renounce adultery and do not commit violence.
Meditate, as taught by the Guru, with a pure mind.
I am going to tell about, pronounces Maharshi Mehi Paramhansji Maharaj,how to practice meditation, so please listen with rapt attention ||4||

Sit on a pure `aasan' (small square piece of mat, carpet, cloth sheet etc.) with your back, neck and head held in a straight (vertical) line.
Then keeping your mouth and eyes shut, internally chant the name of the deity (or Guru) you worship and internally visualise the form of your (Guru or) desired deity.

Doing so regularly with loving devotion, with perseverance, the mind gradually gets purified.
I will now describe, Maharshi Mehi Paramhansji Maharaj articulates, what is to be done next, so please listen attentively. ||5||

The mind (while trying to focus it on a fixed target) often strays to numerous other thoughts. In all such cases when the mind wanders away from the target
Bring it back again and again, as soon as you realize its flight to objects or subjects other than the target, and focus it on your target.
Thus practising the `pratyaahaar' (the process or practice of repeatedly bringing the mind back to focus on its target every time it strays away), move up to or acquire the state of `dhaaranaa' (the state of mind staying focused on the target for a small length of time).
Moveahead and ascend yourself, counsels Maharshi Mehi Paramhansji Maharaj,holding on to the current in the inner sky, then move further ahead.||6||

Very alertly grasp the prime current in the inner sky
And consciously behold the resplendent wonders or plays there (in the inner sky).
Still your gaze, your currents of seeing, at the bank or wharf of Sushumna or the Tenth Door.
And, yes, swiftly ascend through this door, exhorts Maharshi Mehi Paramhansji Maharaj||7||

Bravely practising thus, rise higher into the 'Brahmaand' (Cosmos or Macro Cosmos or the Universe) leaving the `pind' (our body or micro-cosmos) behind.
(For this) make your sight focused and penetrate into the Sushumna, just as an arrow pierces its target.
Getting there once (that is, on entering into the Sushumna), explains Maharshi Mehi Paramhansji Maharaj, `bindu' (refulgent point visualized in the inner sky when the currents of vision meet at a point in the Sushumna) and `naad' (Divine Sound or Vibration) would escort or lead you ahead (as guides) and take you on a trip to the realm of Divine light along with the realm of Divine Sound ||8||

Tour through the sphere of light, and see the glittering light.
In the proximity of the `til' or `bindu' (brilliant point) is seen the light of `jugnoo' (glow-worm), see it fixedly.
Lightning is also sighted there and it becomes very difficult to fix the gaze at this (lightning).
How would the sight be able to fix or still itself at the glittering point,remarks Maharshi Mehi Paramhansji Maharaj, at that brilliant light so long as the surat (attention, current of consciousness) keeps trembling (that is, is not stilled)?||9||

Through regular & rigorous practice of `drishti yog' (Meditation on Divine Light within)…
The trembling or shaking of surat would automatically go away as it would mature slowly (and become absolutely fixed or stilled).
Til Dwar (Tenth Door or The Third Eye) will break open by gazing at it with great effort…
Under the thrust of constant, fixed gazing, says Maharshi Mehi Paramhansji Maharaj. ||10||

Closing the three (eyes, ears and the mouth) look at the resplendent point as well as perceive the current of sound within.
Being drawn or attracted by this current move on from one sound to another and listen to (with the inner ear) a wide variety of sounds…
Such as the chirping of cricket, humming of black beetle…
Ringing of bells, sounds of `shankh' (conch), `shehnaai' (great pipe) etc, recounts Maharshi Mehi Paramhans ji Maharaj. ||11||

Current of sound is perceived along with sighting of star and the flame of a burning lamp.
Majestic divine sky replete with supernatural moonlight opens up (to the practitioner).
How it feels, Maharshi Mehi Paramhansji Maharaj remarks, to perceive the various sounds there, how does it feel to behold the astonishing full moon (full moon is seen in the region of sahastraara or thousand-petalled lotus)…
Can be known to, or experienced by, that perseverant and brave practitioner alone who is wholly immersed in inner meditation. ||12||

He who gets very profoundly or deeply engrossed in meditation…
Loses awareness of his gross body…truly steadfast and resolute is he (who experiences this).
Suchan inwardly-turned practitioner, avers Maharshi Mehi Paramhans ji Maharaj, is not even aware of the time – whether it is evening or morning, day or night.
Externally he appears to be stationary, or motionless like an inanimate or inert being, though, he is fully alert or conscious internally. ||13||

In whose face or comparison this external sun (of the outer world) appears quite dim, without light, or pales into insignificance…
Beyond the zone of moon is seen such a majestic inner sun (in the region of Trikutee situated above the sahastraara - the thousand-petalled lotus).
Who can describe those loud roaring sounds that are heard there?
Oh really, narrates Maharshi Mehi Paramhansji Maharaj, sounds resembling the `mahaa nagaadaa' (giant sized drums) beats and thundering of clouds keep reverberating there. ||14||

Further ahead is attained the state of `shoonya samaadhi' (in the region of Void) where there is sound and sound only.
Only such a devoted servant of sant who is driven by an ardent desire to go back to his primeval or original home attains to this state.
Here the practitioner gets to listen, through the ears of attention, to the melodious tunes of `muralee'/'murli' (flute).
Listening to such melodies, Maharshi Mehi Paramhansji Maharaj affirms, gives rise to great curiosity or intense desire (to tune into more and more of such enchanting melodies). ||15||

When we find a true Guru who knows the right skills or secret (to realize Him), he gives us the hint to "Naada Dhyaan or Shabda Yoga" (Meditation on the Divine Sound Current).
That which can not be likened to anything else and that which never undergoes any change is called the `saar-shabd' (Quintessential or Primeval Sound/Word).
Even this Quintessential Sound gets dissolved or merged in `nihshabd' (soundless state).
Sants have sung (in their verses) the praises of, utters Maharshi Mehi Paramhansji Maharaj, this very soundless entity variously referred to as `Addhvani', `Ashabd', `Anaam' etc. ||16||

Accompanying the Quintessential Sound, the surat (individual soul) also merges into the `akah' (indescribable soundless realm), the Highest State.
The nature of this Highest State, which is also termed as `Adhwani', `Ashabd', `Anaami' etc., is entirely different or distinct from anything else and is unique.
Having attained (and merged into oneness with) that Supreme Sovereign God who is devoid of all sorts of dichotomies & dualities…
Surat (the soul) has never, Maharshi Mehi Paramhansji Maharaj asserts, to come back into this world, that is, does not need to take birth in this world. ||17||

Announcements -- Various Posts and Links -- Happy 2009!

http://SantMat.gaia.com — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 06:00:45 GMT

Announcements -- Various Posts and Links

Wishing Everyone A Happy New Year of Love, Meditation, and Spiritual Progress -- HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! Classic New Year's Message from Master Kirpal (from the Ruhani USA website): http://tinyurl.com/9pd2wf

My Spiritual Awakening Website. Go To:
http://www.spiritualawakeningradio.com

Life Coach Dr. Jeanine Austin streaming live Friday on Spiritual Awakening Radio, 1 PM ET/10 AM PT @ http://www.HealthyLife.Net

My Satsang (Spiritual Talks) Are Now Podcasted @ Blog Talk Radio:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/santmatfellowship
Link (above) to a recent online satsang at Blog Talk Radio, a spiritual talk based on the teachings of the Masters. This particular satsang talk has readings from the book, Spiritual Gems, a collection of the letters of Huzur Baba Sawan Singh, also readings from, Philosophy of Liberation, by Maharishi Mehi on practicing Sant Mat Meditation, from the book, The Harmony of All Religions, by Swami Sant Sevi Ji Maharaj on the Three Levels of Satsang, and selections from the Bhajans (Hymns) of Param Sant Tulsi Sahib of Hathras, India.

According to "Positive Airwaves" SpiritualAwakening remains the Number 1 most listened to radio program in the archives of HealthyLife.Net

Hear Spiritual Awakening Radio online 24/7 -- 15 Shows at the Archive Page:
http://www.healthylife.net/RadioShow/archiveSPA.htm
0/03 Inter-Faith Readings: Taoism, Sikh, Hindu, Gnostic
10/10 Inter-Faith Readings: Bahai, Zoroaster, Essene, Sufi
10/17 Exploring the World Religions: The Bahai Faith, Part 1
10/24 Exploring the World Religions: The Bahai Faith, Part 2
10/31 Exploring the World Religions: The Bahai Faith, Part 3
11/14 Exploring the World Religions: The Bahai Faith, Part 4
11/21 Finding Spiritual Community (Satsang)
11/28 Music Interview - My Guest is Deosil
12/05 The Yoga of Sound
12/12 A Course In Miracles
12/19 Malynn Utzinger on Meditation
12/26 The Wisdom of Kirpal Singh
1/02 Life Coaching Part 1 with Dr. Jeanine Austin
1/09 Life Coaching Part 2 with Dr. Jeanine Austin

Early Morning Mystical Meditation: http://tinyurl.com/7423uz
Amrit Veela meditation song. I like how this video begins...the first 2 minutes. It conveys the Indian practice of people waking early (during the Hour of Elixir/Amrit Veela/Brahma-Muhurta/Hour of God) and starting the day with meditation. It also illustrates divine Light and the Radiant Form of the Master, though in that
particular case I'm not familiar with the guru or path, but this
captures the spirit of Amrit Veela, that time of stillness or darkness that makes it easier to hear the Sound and see the Light.

For those needing someone to talk to: Spiritual Direction, Mentoring, Guidance -- a Life Coach -- someone to talk about about spiritual paths and options -- may you find your path.

Namaste',
James
http://twitter.com/SantMat_Mystic

Sant Mat Radio Podcasts Are Going Here (link)

http://SantMat.gaia.com — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 03:57:24 GMT

Sant Mat Radio Podcasts Are Going Here:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/santmatfellowship

Hear "The Yoga of Sound" -- Spiritual Awakening Radio

http://SantMat.gaia.com — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 18:42:30 GMT

Hear "The Yoga of Sound" -- Spiritual Awakening Radio

The link will activate your windows media player or default player for .ASX files:
http://www.ecstreams.com/HealthyLife/wma/spa1212_wma.asx

Or, go to my audio archive page at HealthyLife.Net, scroll down and click on: "The Yoga of Sound":
http://www.healthylife.net/RadioShow/archiveSPA.htm

Whether it's drumming, Russian Orthodox or Coptic chant, or Gregorian plainchant, an Indian classical raga or bagpipes, for millennia humans have been echoing various aspects of this Song of Creation. "For in the beginning of the times so did we all share in the Holy Stream of Sound that gave birth to all creation." (Essene Gospel of Peace, Volume Four)

Indigenous cultures support the belief that the universe was brought into existence through sound. The Australian aborigines believe in "songlines," meaning the "way of the law," which sang the world, and everything in it, into existence. Native American traditions speak of the "Song of the Creator" that created life and sustains the universe.

"Upon merging the mind with the Sound, there remains only the consciousness, free of the association with the mind. The consciousness free of the mind will be drawn to the flow of sounds, ultimately merging in Soundlessness or the Supreme Sovereign God. The internal practice of meditation ends here: the Supreme God is realized and the work is completed." (Maharshi Mehi, The Philosophy of Liberation)

Prayer of Sant Daata Dayal Ji (Shiv Brat Lal)

http://SantMat.gaia.com — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 11:43:32 GMT

Prayer of Sant Daata Dayal Ji (Shiv Brat Lal)

Radhasoami Reality:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Radhasoami-Reality
{Radhaswami Dayal ki Daya Radhaswami Sahai: "Grant Merciful Radhasoami Thy Grace and Protection"}

O August Radhaswami (Lord of the Soul),
Thou Living Self and Living Master,
Beneficent Father and Mother of All!
Be merciful -- make us Thine own,
And thus save us from the snares of Time.
Past are the Golden Age and others,
Unknowing of the Heavenly Melody proper,
Yet now art Thou Merciful, in this hard Dark
Age,
To chant in loud and lucid strains, the Sacred
Word,
O Lord, having descended into this plane
below,
Helpest Thou the living entities,
To span the Worldly-Ocean across;
To cast off the Trinity, and reach the Fourth
Abode,
Whence the Living Name unfolds,
And the Living Mastership.

Bathed in Glory and Effulgent Light,
Thy servant tenders this Solemn Petition:
Grant us even The Regionless Region,
The Chief Abode, the Sphere of Bliss,
The Holy Refuge at Thy Feet,
MY LORD!

-- Prayer of Sant Daata Dayal Ji (Shiv Brat Lal), "Light On Ananda Yoga -- The Yoga of Happiness," Sant Bani Books, Copyright Steve Morrow, 1982 (Note: I was friends with the late Steve Morrow, who, once upon a time, had an inter-faith satsang at his home in Texas called Sant Mat Fellowship.)

Kabir Says, The Day That Counts

http://SantMat.gaia.com — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 02:30:52 GMT

Kabir Says, The Day That Counts

Only the day spent
In repetition of the Lord's Name
Is reckoned fruitful
In the court of the Lord.
He who is absorbed in the Name,
The Lord is always with him
As his companion.
The day spent in repetition
Alone counts in the Lord's court.
Ceaselessly burns the lamp of Maya,
And men and gods, like moths,
Rush blindly into its flames.

Having attained the state
Of poise and detachment,
Kabir, the Lord's slave,
Has swum across the ocean
And reached the haven.

-- Guru Kabir, from the Kabir Granthavali

Sweet Melodies Which Attract the Soul -- Surat Shabd Yoga

http://SantMat.gaia.com — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 05:09:49 GMT

Sweet Melodies Which Attract the Soul -- Surat Shabd Yoga

Sant Mat Fellowship:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SantMatFellowship
{"Repeat the Name of your Beloved, day and night, again and again. With care in thought, word and deed, you will cross to the other shore." -- Dadu}

The human body is a kin to a radio broadcasting station (transmitting point). It transmits into the ethers subtle and mental waves of what the mind thinks. Mental thought-forces and spiritual currents go out in the atmosphere according to the disposition of one's mental and spiritual make up. The human body system is also a radio receiver. A powerful broadcasting station is more effective. Likewise, the receiving set has to be tuned to listen to such broadcasts. The mind can be made receptive to the Guru's solace-giving thought and spiritual currents. This can be achieved by the quality of attention. One's attention is the number one tool which can do and undo things. The magnetic force of the Guru's holy touch is the guiding principle. If the initiate fixes their attention properly, there is no question of failure in meditation.

Various sorts of sound currents reverberate in the human system (brain) from which the initiate has to pick up the right one and listen to it, otherwise he will go astray and lose his equipoise. The practical Guru forewarns his disciple and directs which sound to listen to and which one to discard. A variety of sound currents are of a lower order which have to be rejected. The experienced practitioner [of Surat Shabd Yoga] knows that some of these low order sound currents can become audible. Therefore the initiate his to be very careful and avoid then in entirety. If not, they are bound to create a sort of roadblock in the ascension process.

As aspirant must first get the know-how, this is what initiation means and implies. It is fruitless to make an effort independently. It is bound to fail. Unless one gets the name and address of a person's house in a large city, he cannot find the residence he wants to go to. The same law operates in the pursuit of Satsang. The Guru there is the living divine guide in the person of a living Master. One needs help from such a living source to acquaint himself and then start practice. The discourses of the Master are very instructive. The very presence of the Guru is a suggestive and corrective phenomena. The atmosphere is serene, calm and peaceful. The spiritual current of the Guru plays its own role. All this produces a sobering and purifying effect on the mind. The law of association with the Guru works wonders. So let him be the guiding light of life. In this way alone would the initiate cast away ignorance and dispel all obscurities and failings. The devotee receives the required knowledge. Then he needs to commence his spiritual journey internally. No doubt the devotee gains knowledge, receives Naam Dan (initiation) and gets happily engaged in his practice.

The devotee in his spiritual journey upwards hears sweet melodies which attract him. The melodies are a powerful magnetic force which draws the attention inwards and makes it fully attuned to proceed up and up. We hear external instrumental music like the sitar, sarangi, violin, harmonium, fiddle, flute and veena. We become attracted by them and almost acquire a semi-rapturous condition. One can well imagine how charming the Dhun-Atmic Shabda (internal Music) emanating from both subtle and causal regions can be. It is a thousand times more enchanting and absorbing! All one needs is to get the know-how of this simple method of the Saints. A Sufi of note has described this condition thus:

"If I were to reveal
a little of the Heavenly Music
that is heard within,
even the dead
will rise from their graves."

-- Shri Shivbrat Lal, from the book, "Dayal Yoga"

Show Available for Download: Satsang: Finding Your Community

http://SantMat.gaia.com — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 03:27:42 GMT

Today's Show Available for Download: Finding Your Community

Posted on Nov 21st, 2008 by SantMat_Mystic_(James)

Today's Show Available for Download: Finding Your Community

This Week: Finding Your Spiritual Community (Satsang)

The latest edition of Spiritual Awakening Radio is archived and available for download for the next 13 weeks at my Spiritual Awakening Radio Archive Page at HealthyLifeNet.

GO TO:

http://www.healthylife.net/RadioShow/archiveSPA.htm

scroll down and click on show title:
"11/21 November 21st Show".

Satsang is a word used in India for spiritual gatherings. According to the teachings of Guru Nanak however, a satsang is not just a meeting, but a fellowship of those that seek to associate with the Eternal Truth or God. Satsang is a very special time when all the distractions and illusions of "maya's place" are to be put aside. It is an auspicious occasion when the Secrets, Mysteries, the Hidden Gnosis or Esoteric Teachings are freely shared out in the open........The New Testament passage: "Where two or three are gathered in My Name, I Am in their midst", is a wonderful description of the group-energy that can be present when people come together to sing, meditate, and focus on the Eternal Truths of the spiritual journey as revealed by the great Masters of the past and the living present.

Namaste!

James
Spiritual Awakening Radio Website, with library, archives, links, blog, yahoo groups, and much more:
http://www.SpiritualAwakeningRadio.com

Anurag Sagar, A Message from the Ocean of Love

http://SantMat.gaia.com — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 23:31:31 GMT

Anurag Sagar, A Message from the Ocean of Love

http://www.spiritualawakeningradio.com/anurag_01_intro.pdf

Enlighten your inner Self with the Lamp of Knowledge.

Meditate on the Satguru Shabda and the thief of darkness will run

away.

The greatness of merging in Naam

As long as the jiva doesn't merge himself in Naam, he wanders in

this world.

When he contemplates on the Formless and merges into Naam, all

his doubts go away.

If he merges into Naam even for a moment, Its greatness cannot be

described.

Everybody talks about Naam but rare ones achieve the formless

Naam.

What does one get who receives Naam?

One who gets Sat Naam from the Satguru goes to Sat Lok climbing

the rope of Naam.

Dharam Rai bows his head to him whose soul merges into the elementless.

What is the Essential Shabda?

The Essential Shabda is a bodiless form. The Essential Shabda is

beautiful, wordless.

The body has elements and nature: The Essential Shabda is elementless

and bodiless.

In all four directions Shabda is talked about-----only the Essential

Shabda can liberate the souls.

The Naam of Sat Purush Itself is the Essential Shabda and the Simran

of Sat Purush is the Essential Shabda's recognition.

One who merges into It without doing the Simran by tongue----even

Kal is afraid of him.

The path of the Essential Shabda is subtle, easy and perfect; but

only the brave can follow it.

It is neither a word, nor a simran, nor a japa. It is a perfect thing,

achieving which one can conquer Kal.

The support of the soul is in the head, and now I will tell you of the

recognition of Shabda.

One who gets connected with the Unrepeated Repetition gets to see

the infinite-petaled lotus.

When he reaches the astral door, he [ultimately] goes to Agam and

Agochar [by way of] the True Path.

His inner Self----where Adi Purush resides-------gets enlightened.

Recognizing Him, the soul goes to Him-and He takes the soul to

its origin.

The soul is of the same essence as Sat Purush and is also called Jiva-

Sohang.

Dharam Das, you are a wise saint. Recognize that Shabda

which gives liberation.

The method of meditating on the Essential Shabda (Naam)-----The way of practicing Master's Path

HYMN

Repeat the Unrepeated and with the grace of the perfect Master,

test it.

Keeping the wing of mind at rest, see the Shabda; and, climbing the

mind, finish your Karma.

Reach the place where the Sound is produced without tongue and

the rosary beads are moved without hands:

Merging into the Essential Shabda, go to the world of immortality.

COUPLET

The glory of the Inconceivable is limitless-----millions of suns and

moons cannot vie with one hair.

The radiance of one soul is equal to the light of sixteen suns.

(Anurag Sagar, published by Sant Bani Ashram)

Women Mystics: Sant Daya Bai and Verse by Mirabai

http://SantMat.gaia.com — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 10:50:47 GMT

Women Mystics: Sant Daya Bai and Verse by Mirabai

Sant Mat Mysticism Blog at: http://SantMat.Gaia.Com

Daya Bai was a disciple of Sant Charan Das of Delhi and friend of Sahjo Bai. She was born around 1700 and eventually wrote the book of Daya Bodh ("Wisdom of Daya"). The Vinaymalika is also attributed to her.

Some Mystic Verses of Sant Daya Bai

My heart burns, O RAM [God], with the fire of separation;
I yearn to behold you, O lovely enchanter of my heart.

I am perpetually tormented by the anguish
of separation;
O come to me on the waves of compassion
and do not torture me.

The path of love is a very difficult one
and the world cannot understand it.
He alone can know its ups and downs
who has himself experienced its pain.

Says Daya, repeat the Name of the Lord
which alone is the True Essence in this world.
By repeating the Lord's Name,
you become the Lord Himself
and come to know of the Supreme Secret.

--- Sant Daya Bai

O Lord, I am mad for Your love,
but who can understand my pain?
None but the wounded can know of the
anguish of the wounded.

--- Sant Mira Bai

Introduction to Sant Mat Meditation: Sar Bachan & RS Mat Prakash

http://SantMat.gaia.com — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 21:19:47 GMT

Introduction to Sant Mat Meditation: Sar Bachan & RS Mat Prakash

Sant Mat Mysticism Blog:
http://SantMat.Gaia.Com

"When I came, I opened the path, and I taught them about the passage which they will traverse..." (Yeshua in, Dialogue of the Savior, THE GNOSTIC SOCIETY LIBRARY, Nag Hammadi section)

"This path is of Prem (Love) and Bhakti (Devotion), and consists in elevating the Surat to celestial regions by means of Shabd [the Word or Sound Current]." (Swami Ji Maharaj -- Sant Radhasoami Sahib)

"Having come here, I advocate the practice of Surat Shabd Yoga and I instruct you to enter and permeate into the Word. I describe a ladder (pandi) of several steps of Shabd so that you can climb up step by step, reaching the city of Truth (Satt Lok). As it is, forsake this Land of the Drop and move on to the Sphere of the Ocean; have fun and frolic there." (Swami Ji Maharaj -- Sant Radhasoami Sahib on the Yoga/Meditation of the Inner Light and Sound Current)

"Surat [the attention-faculty, eyes and ears of the Soul] going to glimpse the Absolute, concentrates its gaze at the tenth door [third eye center]. Watching the Luminous Point, the pole Star, the Moon and Sun, the Surat hears many sweet tunes of the five spheres. Mehi says, this is the quintessence of Sant Mat." (The Padavali of Maharishi Mehi)

From a new translation of the Sar Bachan Poetry of Swami Ji Maharaj, Volume Two:

Question 4: What is the secret and mystique of the Surat's original abode and the path that leads to it? Then the Surat asked: "0 Swami! Do kindly spell out and bring out into the open the entire mystery and secret of His Original Abode and of the Way leading to it?"

Then the Swami spoke up about the secret of the Way: "Recite the Five Names (i.e. Radhasoami Name, see Sar Bachan Radhasoami, Poetry, Volume I, Discourse 2, Verses 1-3), and fasten your Surat on the spot called as Shyam-Sait (bluish-white, i.e. the Third Til [third eye center], where one perceives from a distance the dazzling light of the flame that burns eternally at Sahasda1 Kanwal.....). Then you will hear the musical instruments at Gagan [the mystic sky of Sahasdal Kanwal, the thousand petaled lotus] where the sounds of bell and conch-shell resonate."

"There you will also perceive the flame and from there you will move on to Crooked Tunnel across which you will proceed to the Region of Three Prominences (Trikuti) where you will hear the sound of Aumkara and thunder of the nimbus. Beyond it, you will soar to the middle of Sunn [Void] and hear the call of Rarankar and the sound of fiddle and sarangi and bathe in Mansarovar (the reservoir of spirituality in Sunn)."

"Beyond it, is the vast expanse of Maha-sunn [Great Void] where there are four Sounds hidden in the shroud of darkness that prevails there. Beyond and on top of that expanse there is the Rotating Cave where from the flute emanates the sound of Sohang (and Anahoo) which you will experience. Beyond that, there is the abode of Sattnaam (i.e. Sattlok) where there is the sound of harp from which emanates the sound of Satt. Hearing the sound Satt.....Satt, the Surat moves forward and soaring high, it arrives at the Alakh Lok (the Invisible Sphere). The mien and countenance of the Alakh Purush (the Invisible Being) is resplendent and radiant as if crores of suns are shining; His Person is unique and simply wondrous."

"Thence, the Surat goes on to the Inaccessible Sphere (Agam Lok) and has rendezvous with the Inaccessible Lord. Billions and trillions of suns and moons cannot match the luminance of that sphere and the rapture accruing from the sound there is unfathomable and incalculable. How can I articulate the mellifluence of the melody of that sphere, for there is nothing like it available here with which it could be compared. Beyond that abode, the Nameless (Anami), the Supreme Radhasoami - the sphere of Param Sants - lies."

Hearing these details from the Soami, the Surat becomes enraptured and ecstatic and replies: "0 Soami! I now fully understand what is what, and let us now make a move."

The fact is that without the Satguru nobody can gain across to the secret of the Way; and Satguru is he who can show that Way and reveal its mystery. As it is, great is the majesty, might and main of the Satguru; nobody knows about it. All those who try to see and know of it, reach the end of their tether and accept defeat. It is only he on whom He casts his favourable eye that he can come to know about the Way and will have faith and confidence in it (and will be ready to tread that path). It is only very rare jivas [Souls] who can bring to bear faith in Him, have confidence in Him and hope for emancipation (with His aid and under His supervision). It is only those who accept the saint's utterances as true that they will accept this discourse as true.

(Swami Ji Maharaj, Sar Bachan Radhasoami Poetry, Volume Two: "The Quintessential Discourse Radhasoami II", M.G. Gupta, MG Publishers, Agra, India, a great translation of all three volumes of Sar Bachan Poetry and Prose)

RADHASOAMI MAT PRAKASH - A Brief View of Radhasoami Faith

Being a message of Eternal Peace and Joy to all nations

Originally written by Huzur Maharaj in English and published in 1897

11. Definition of Sant Sat Guru

19. A Sant Sat Guru is one who has either descended directly from the highest division or reached that quarter by practice of Surat-Shabd-Yoga under the immediate direction of the former.

12. Definition of Sadh Guru and Satsangi

20. A Sadhguru is one who has descended from the top of the second grand division or reached it by the practice of Surat-Shabd-Yoga under the direction of the Sant Sat Guru and is proceeding towards the highest division. A Satsangi is one who having full belief and confidence in Sant Sat Guru and His words is practicing Surat-Shabd-Yoga under His immediate direction and having traversed some distance is pushing on upwards.

13. The Supreme Being is both personal and impersonal

21. The name of the Supreme Being is Radhasoami. He is impersonal, but personal in the second and third divisions and when He manifests Himself through humanity as Sant Sat Guru. His attributes are mostly met with in the Sant Sat Guru, who might be called an Incarnation of Sat Purush Radhasoami, the True Supreme Being.

14. Definition of true salvation

22. The deliverance of spirit entity from bondage of body, senses and mind, and its gradual ascension and eventual entrance into the first or highest division by the practice of Surat-Shabd-Yoga is perfect salvation according to Radhaswami Faith. At present the Surat or Spirit entity which is a particle of the Supreme Being or a ray from the Supreme Sun or a drop from the Supreme Ocean of Spirit, having descended from the highest or first region has become encased in material coverings, and in a manner intermingled with matter and is in this, the third region, subject to the forces or carnal desires and passions resulting from such mixture.

15. Spirit entity, subject to birth and rebirth in the second and third degrees

23. In its descent from the highest region the spirit entity has become enveloped in various coverings of matter or bodies, and so long as it remains in the second and third division where matter exists, it can not be freed from re-birth in the lower or higher regions. It is only in the first or highest division where there is no matter, that there is no re-birth.

16. Radhasoami Faith not built on scriptures of any religion – The efficacy of Surat-Shabd-Yoga testified by inspired religions

24. Radhasoami Faith is not built on the basis of scriptures appertaining to Hindu or any other religion, but on the precepts or instructions of the Supreme Being Himself, who appeared on this earth in human form and graciously performed the functions of a Sant Sat Guru for the benefit of degraded humanity. The original books of all inspired religions, however, bear sufficient testimony to the superiority and efficacy of the Surat-Shabd-Yoga as the path to the highest heaven.

17. The internal sound current is the means of raising spirit, difference of Dhwanyatmak and Varnatmak names. The power of Sound Current or Shabd

25. The sound heard internally is a current which has originally emanated from the Supreme Being and is the means not only of concentrating the will but also of raising spirit entity to the source from which it emanated.

26. At the time of initiation, a novice receives instructions as regards the particulars of Shabd of each sub-division by means of which one has to raise one’s spirit entity upwards. This is called Dhwanyatmak name, while that uttered by tongue is called Varnatmak name.

27. It must be clearly understood that by Shabd or ‘Word’ or internal voice is meant the spirit or life current which enlivens every part of the body and is the main principle or essence which supports life in and gives activity to every being or body in the whole creation or universe. Even in this world everything is done by means of word or sound, and all affairs are managed through its instrumentality, as one speaks or gives order and the other attends to it or carries it out into execution. The instantaneous effect of word or sound on human beings and even on animals is so apparent in everyday experience of our life that it needs no further explanation.

18. The state of Spirit entity in the third degree – The change of its powers with the change of its spheres

28. At present the spirit entity of a human being is residing in the third or material-spiritual region, and has, therefore, to do all the work here by means of the senses and the mind which are mediums between it and the material objects, and consequently, as a natural result, its power has become quite hampered. But as soon as it begins to ascend, the powers, which are now lying dormant, become active and the spirit entity acquires ultra-material or higher power.

19. The method of taking back the Spirit entity to its original Source is to ride the sound current

29.The method for taking back the spirit entity to its Supreme Source is first to concentrate at the focus of eyes the spirit entity and mind which are defused in our body and in a manner tied to external objects by desires and passions, and next to commence its journey homewards by attending to the internal sound, or in other words, by riding the life or sound current which has originally emanated from the Supreme Source.

30. The current which has been instrumental in having brought it down here must naturally be the only ‘True Path’ for its return to the original source, and whoever finds this current is on the path of emancipation. This current which is the spirit and life current is called in the Radhasoami Faith, "Sound’ or ‘Word" or Holy Name. (Radhasoami Mat Prakash, by Huzur Maharaj)

The Way of the Lover and the Beloved: Bhakti Yoga by James Bean

http://SantMat.gaia.com — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 16:37:47 GMT

The Way of the Lover and the Beloved: Bhakti Yoga
by James Bean
Copyright October 2008 - All Rights Reserved

Bhakti Yoga according to the Dictionary of Mysticism is "the yoga of love, the quest of union with the Divine Spirit through Bhakti-marga (the path of love and devotion)." (Frank Gaynor, Philosophical Library) Bhakti is a Sanskrit word for love and devotion, and love is the quintessential truth of all religion, spirituality and mysticism. In the New Testament Saint Paul said that "love is the most excellent way." The Bhagavad Gita and the other world scriptures say the same thing. The mystic-lovers of history have taught that "God is an infinite Ocean of Love and each soul is a drop from that Ocean." By approaching simran/zikhr (a spiritual exercise of repeating God's Name or Names), prayer, the singing of hymns or meditation with an attitude of love and devotion (prem and bhakti), we elevate our consciousness; the practice of love brings us into harmony with the Supreme Being, our own true nature, and with everyone else. "Even as the sun shines and fills all space with light, so shines the Lord of Love and fills the hearts of all created beings." (The Upanishads, Eknath Easwaran) I very much suspect people are drawn to the poetry of Rumi because he may be for some a connection to this rare and lesser-known Eastern approach of divine romance, the Way of the Lover and the Beloved!

Bhakti is an Indian term for the religion of love; it is heart-centered, focused on the cultivation of love between the soul and the Oversoul, between lover and the Beloved. India's Nirguna Bhakti Saints and devotees (bhaktas) are madly in love with God; their relationship with the Supreme Being is that of divine romance! The 16th century mystic Mira Bai said:

To the Lord's abode I will go,
for He alone is my true love.
I'll gaze upon His charming face
and ever remain enthralled.
In the calm of the night
I will arise and go to him,
and return at dawn.

PRACTICES OF LOVE AND DEVOTION (BHAKTI) FOR THE SUPREME BEING

According to Saint Tulsi Das there are several modes of Bhakti practice. One major practice is called Satsang -- the society of realized Saints. Satsang means "association with Eternal Truth" as well as "association with God," and is to some extent comparable to "church" or "temple," but not in any institutional sense. A saying of Jesus in the New Testament provides a great definition of Satsang: "Where two or three are gathered in My Name, I am there in their midst." When devotees or initiates of a Saint sit together for worship and meditation, the Masters teach that there's a great spiritual energy present, a stronger manifestation of the loving Presence of God and a kind of "communion of Saints," past and present.

Satsang is also an experience of spiritual community, an opportunity to be uplifted by the collective energy of our brothers and sisters on the Path, for we're influenced by the company we keep! Devotees make this a time and place of spiritual Remembrance, and this helps to keep us on the Path. Mira Bai said:

In minutes, Satsang will lead to
Jiva-Mukti [the salvation or
liberation of the soul].

The format of Satsang meetings can include: a spiritual discourse, instruction on putting the Path into practice, a video of a Master giving a talk, readings from the writings of various Masters or Mystics, the reciting or singing of banis, bhajans or kirtans (hymns of worship composed by Saints), and silent group meditation. It's considered the greatest of blessings if it is a Master who conducts the Satsang in person.

The effect of Satsang is that of divine remembrance, thus, with such a spiritual boost, encouragement and support for the spiritual journey, those who go to Satsang are much more likely to stay on the Path and put effort into their own daily spiritual practice at home. Thus will the life of the Bhakta (lover, devotee, disciple) become more and more God-intoxicated by imbibing the spiritual wine, the nectar of divine love.

THE POWER OF GOD'S NAME

Repeating a Name (or Names) of God with love and devotion, called in the east "Simran" or "Zikhr," is one of the key spiritual exercises used to cultivate love for God and to invoke the Positive Power in our daily lives, making it possible to live a life of love. This is usually done mentally, as a mental repetition of a Name of God done during meditation, this practice is done during available moments throughout the day and night as a way to remember God all the time. Says Tukarama:

Such is God's Name
that it heals the disease of the world.
Whosoever repeats the Lord's Name
while engaged in earthly duties,
remains ever in a blissful state of divine communion.
One absorbed in the Lord's Name, O Tuka,
has truly attained liberation while living.

This spiritual exercise of repeating God's Name helps to uplift our day, to bring some of the heaven and bliss of meditation into our down-to-earth daily experience, and is a way to remember in a world of forgetfulness, to remain awake in a world of spiritual slumber, to abide in Truth, no longer dominated by the forces of illusion. Be who you really are wherever you go!

Most of the great Saints and Mystics of history have also been poets or composers of hymns, psalms, odes, banis, bhajans --- mystic songs of love and devotion.

Closely related to the chanting of divine names (mantra, manas jappa, simran or zikhr) is the practice of reciting or singing kirtanas, shabds and banis (hymns). India's Saints of Love for thousands of years now have composed their own devotional hymns and poems. India's Mystics have left behind an immense treasure of devotional literature, the scriptures of the Saints and Masters of the East. If Westerners aren't able to sing these hymns in their original languages, reading translations of them is in itself a spiritual exercise of great benefit, for these beautiful words carry a loving spiritual charge that helps to keep one mindful of the spiritual Path, as well as it helps to prepare one for daily meditation practice. Babuji Maharaj of Agra used to advise his followers to recite several hymns a day, prescribing certain hymns of Swami Ji Maharaj and Rai Saligram (his spiritual Master) "to be chanted in the morning, before meals, and before going to bed at night." To be sure, it is indeed extremely helpful to read a couple of hymns or poems of the Saints each day.

Traditionally in India the Saints and Masters have also used hymns and mystical poetry as a way to communicate their teachings to the people by communicating the truths of the Saints directly to the hearts of those who listen. "Govinda [God] says, 'I go wherever devotees sing my praise.'" (Garab Das) That quote from Garab Das very much reminds me of a passage from the Hebrew Book of Psalms: "God inhabits the praises of His people."

This is a translation of a hymn (shabd) by the 19th century Mystic Tulsi Sahib of Hathras, India titled,

"Shabd surat jin ki mili."
Whose soul is attached to the Word,
revels ever in cosmic flight;
Revels ever in cosmic flight,
and realizing the Lord,
plays with Him.
The mystery of the Inaccessible
and the secret of the scriptures he unravels:
He reaches his Home within and its Essence
he comes to know;
In the lotus feet of the Beloved
he sees his true destination.
The happily married woman
rejoices with her Spouse every moment, O Tulsi,
For her soul is attached to the Word,
and revels ever in cosmic flight.

The compositions of Tulsi Sahib are bhakti (devotional) in tone, and at the same time allude to the mystical experiences of the soul achieving cosmic flight by becoming attached to the Word – hearing the Celestial Music of the Spheres during meditation. Through the divine Word the mystery of the Inaccessible Plane (called by some Mystics "Agam Lok") is made accessible. Shri Tulsi described his experience of the Beloved Lord as a marriage consummated in mystical union. This merger of lover and Beloved is the final destination of lovers. Dadu, a Master in the Kabir lineage said of this oneness:

The lover is converted into the Beloved.
That indeed is called true love.
Forgetting his own ego, he remains
absorbed in the One.

In their hymns, the Masters and Mystics sing of the power that the Spirit of Love has to transport souls back to the original Home of all souls – the Ocean of Love and Compassion. By approaching spiritual practice with love, we will be elevated in spirit to places beyond our wildest dreams! And for those who are skeptical of their own ability to experience the Way of the Saints, Swami Ji Maharaj said in one of his hymns:

It does not matter if your bhakti is imperfect.
Perform bhakti! Radhasoami [the Lord of the Soul]
graciously declares that you should perform bhakti
in whichever way you can. Fear not. He will grant
you the Treasure of Love. You will be a recipient
of the Gift of Love.

(Sar Bachan Poetry, Vol. II)

I'll leave you with a poem by the 16th century Mystic Dadu Dayal who outlined his vision of the spiritual life to be pursued during our time here on planet Earth:

Recognize the Path to your Beloved, O travelers
and take the route of the anguished lover in separation.
Keep the Master's grace in your thoughts,
and reflect on his pure teachings.
Develop love and devotion with endearment,
and keep the thought of the Creator always before you.
Try to merge yourself into God like water in water.
Fix your mind within by following the Path of the Sound Current.
A yearning will arise; make then an intense and anguished call.
Repeat the Name of your Beloved,
day and night,
again and again.
With care in thought, word and deed,
you will cross to the other shore.

Music Video: Love, Serve, and Remember

http://SantMat.gaia.com — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 09:22:33 GMT

Music Video: Love, Serve, and Remember

http://SantMat.Gaia.Com

Lyrics to: "Love, Serve, and Remember" -- Music by John Astin, from the album "Remembrance":

Why have you come to earth?

Do you remember?

Why have you taken birth?

Why have you come.....

To love, serve, and remember.

John attributes the words to Paramahansa Yogananda, also Ram Das: "When Ram Dass asked his teacher Maharaji how he'd be able to carry on in his spiritual work once he'd returned to the U.S. and was no longer in his physical company, Maharaji said, 'It is very simple. Just love everyone, serve everyone, and remember God.' Love, serve, and remember...the simplicity and profound message contained in these three words served as the inspiration behind the song of the same name that appears on this recording Remembrance. May this song and the other titles on this album inspire you to remember the truth of who you are and to love and serve this world from that place of remembrance."

The version of this song that currently appears on YouTube is performed by Ross Priluker. Click to watch and listen. Enjoy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Itt8_hrUTQY

Shabd 7, Bijak of Guru Kabir santo kahown toh ko patiyayi, jhuth

http://SantMat.gaia.com — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 12:09:53 GMT

Shabd 7, Bijak of Guru Kabir

santo kahown toh ko patiyayi, jhuth kahat sanch bani ayi lowke ratan abedh amolak, nahi gahak nahi sainyi chimik chimik chimkai drig dahudishi, arb raha chhiriyayi; apai guru kripa kachhu kinha, nirgun alakh lakhayi; sahaj samadhi unmani jage, sahaj mile raghurayi; jahan jahan dekho tahan tahan soyi; man manik bedho hira; param tattva guru te pawai, kahain updesh kabira

Meaning
O Saints! If I speak the truth who will believe me? In the world lies appear to become the truth; The precious, flawless, and priceless jewel is shining, but there is no buyer and no owner; This priceless jewel is shining in all directions and it's brilliance spreads everywhere; When Sat Guru showered his grace on me, I was able to see the invisible and attributeless God; In sahaj samadhi (easy union) enlightenment dawned, and easily I found union with God; Now, wherever I look there I see Him, as my gem-like mind has pierced (seen) the perfect diamond; You can obtain the Eternal Essence from the Sat Guru; this is the advice of Kabir.

Commentary
The essence of spiritual teaching and practice is to realize Divinity within. The soul is spoken of a being a precious diamond which is beyond price, and is flawless. This precious diamond does not really have a buyer and it has no owner. This is so because nobody can sell or buy the soul, and the soul has no owner because the soul is the gift from God, and it accepts a physical body in order to live in a material world. God is also not the owner of the soul because the soul itself is a part and parcel of God. So, in a spiritual or mystical sense, the soul does not belong to God but the soul is a manifestation of God himself. This type of truth is hardly taught in the various religions of the world. So Guru Kabir asks the question that who will believe him if he speaks what he knows to be Truth or the Reality. He has observed, as we continue to observe, that in the world, a great deal of falsehood is passed on to be the truth. People often gullibly accept all the false paraphernalia of religion to be the Truth and the Essence. They literally become bogged down with the practice of religion, but do not arrive at the realization or knowledge of this peerless Essence of God dwelling within.

Guru Kabir is saying that the brilliance of this Eternal Divine Light that is within is shining in all directions and it spreads everywhere. God is not hidden in any corner of the world, but is manifested everywhere. That is why He is said to be Omnipresent. It is the lack of spiritual vision on our part that causes us not to see God. In one of his bhajans Guru Kabir said that "with open eyes, I joyously behold the beautiful form of God everywhere". He wants us to have the same experience. But as long as we accept as truth the teachings going around, then we will not have that realization.

He states that with the grace of the Sat Guru he was able to see the invisible Lord who is beyond all qualities or attributes. How many of us can understand such Divinity? God truly has no qualities, but we ascribe qualities to him. God is neither male, nor female, nor neuter gender. God is neither good nor bad; He is beyond the dualities of the material world. God is the power that "just is". How can we realize such a being? Guru Kabir states that in an easy way he gained unity with this Being (God) and he became enlightened. Now he states that wherever he looked he saw this Divinity. His mind was pure as a gem, and it was able to pierce the priceless diamond of God that dwells within as the soul. He advises us that we can also obtain this eternal essence if we follow the teachings given by Sat Guru.

The lesson here is that we must seek the Reality through purity of the heart, and not to accept all the falsehood perpetrated in the name of religion.

"If the body and mind are offered in the service of the Merciful

http://SantMat.gaia.com — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 12:01:35 GMT

"If the body and mind
are offered in the service
of the Merciful One,
their purpose is well fulfilled."

(Sant Dadu Dayal)

Dadu