Gaia: The Sacred Pool - Masters, Mystics, Saints - Sufi Tradition

crows

http://axiom.gaia.com — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 06:21:23 GMT

monkey wonders about

destinations,

and later,

about lunch.

wind blows.

illuminated

http://axiom.gaia.com — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 19:15:27 GMT

the towhee's
red eyes flash
in passing car lights.

from oak leaves,
from river sound
and from within-

some spark shines.

gunshots echoing,
wine's intoxication,
soap in hair.

every where,
she abides.

mari

http://axiom.gaia.com — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 02:06:37 GMT

i am a breath at
her door-

stars overhead
whispering,

"two remade
one"

Bibi Hayati

http://mettakaruna.gaia.com — Tue, 05 Dec 2006 14:35:56 GMT

Before there was a trace of this world of men,

I carried the memory of a lock of your hair,

A stray end gathered within me, though unknown.

Inside that invisible realm,

Your face like the sun longed to be seen,

Until each separate object was finally flung into light.

From the moment of Time's first-drawn breath,

Love resides in us,

A treasure locked into the heart's hidden vault;

Before the first seed broke open the rose bed of Being,

An inner lark soared through your meadows,

Heading toward Home.

What can I do but thank you, one hundred times?

Your face illumines the shrine of Hayati's eyes,

Constantly present and lovely.

Satsang Discourse: The True Temple Within

http://SantMat.gaia.com — Fri, 20 Oct 2006 05:15:36 GMT

Satsang Discourse: The True Temple Within

A Living Master initiates his/her students into the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God:

"What your own eyes cannot see,
your human ears
do not hear,
your physical hands cannot feel,
and what is inconceivable to the human
mind---that I will give you!"

-- "Yeshua the Living Master" (First Century AD),
the new Lynn Bauman translation of the Gospel of Thomas:
The Gospel of Thomas---Wisdom of the Twin, White Cloud Press

Wandering

"One may go to Mathura, Kashi, Dwarika or Haridwar, Jagannath; one may travel on a pilgrimage to all these places; but so long as one does not come in contact with true Saints, so long as one does not sing in praise of God, visiting these holy places will bear no meaning; one shall never be able to attain the state of quietude."

-- 1008 Kabir Vani, The Saakhis of Kabir, Manoj Publications, Delhi: http://www.ManojPublications.com

Satsang Discourse: The True Temple Within

By Sant Sevi Ji Maharaj,
The Harmony of All Religions
(a book on Sant Mat, inter-faith studies
and comparative religion ---- mostly from the Chapter on Islamic Mysticism & Gnosis: Sufism)

The Inner Sacred Place

How are we to understand this Allah? The Koran says Allah is compassionate and merciful. All the saints say that we must seek the One. To know Allah it is not necessary to wander anywhere. To find Him, simply look within.

A Fakir has said:

"Man is oblivious to the fact of God's all pervasive and mysterious nature. The Prophet Muhammad is visible, but God is not visible with these eyes."

If you want to find Allah (Khuda) you must turn within. He will not be found outside and therefore, you must make your heart pure and keep the heart clean in order to invite the Divine guest within.

Another Fakir has said:

"Purify the heart to invite the presence of God. Leave aside thoughts of others if you want to seat God within. One heart with many worldly desires leaves no room for God. Then, there is no place for the Divine to sit in such a heart. It is heartbreaking that you go to the man-made temples and mosques, but God is only found in the inner mosque-in the pure heart."

Sa'd al-din Mahmud Shabistari (1250 - 1320), one of the most celebrated authors of Persian Sufism, also writes:

"Go sweep out the chamber of your heart. Make it ready to be the dwelling place of the Beloved. When you depart out, He will enter it. In you, void of yourself, will He display His beauties."

We go to temples, mosques, churches and we build these fine structures. They become places of worship and are places to sit quietly and remember God. However, God does not live in the temple, church or mosque. The Divine temple of God is the body. The Body is the mosque and within we will find Allah.

True Prayer

Once we have understood the true place of worship, we can now discuss the true nature of prayer. We say prayers, but, what is a prayer in reality?

A Muslim poet says:

"True prayer is bringing joy, to sick and suffering beings. True prayer is giving refuge to one who has no refuge. We have learned from touching the mentor's holy feet (learning under their tutelage), that if you desire to find God, you must know yourself (your own true nature)."

The Divine Unity of the Soul and Allah

Until we know ourselves, we will not be able to find God. The moment we know our self is the moment that we will find God. At that time, God will not be lost from us. That moment of self realization is the same moment that we will have God realization. A great Sufi, Sa'd al-din Mahmud Shabistari, eloquently states:

"What are "I" and "You"? Just lattices in the niches of a lamp through which the One Light radiates. I and You are the veil between heaven and earth; Lift this veil and you will see how all sects and religions are one."

Praise, Prayer, and Meditation

There are three important requirements to be met in the practice of a person who pursues devotion to the Divine and seeks to attain liberation. First is praise; second is prayer; and third is meditation. We know that when we are indebted to someone, we should express our gratitude and appreciation. God has blessed us bountifully. Although we are unable to repay God for his generous blessings, we can acknowledge this goodness by chanting praises about the Divine Being. When we exalt God through song, we declare the glories of the Divine. In doing this, we remember the grandeur of God. As a natural result, our faith in God increases ...... Thus, it is through praise that we extol the divine powers of God and draw our mind toward God .....

Prayer and invocation are not merely concerned with the mindless muttering of requests, but rather, prayer should be the voice of our heart. God always listens to the one who calls out with a pure heart.

"Lift this veil and you will ask "I" and "You" do not exist. What is mosque? What is synagogue? What is fire temple?"

We should carefully consider that it is impossible to see God with the physical eyes.

Sant Kabir Sahib says:

"You cannot see God with the physical eyes. You must see God with the eyes of the soul. And, He who has seen his soul has seen God."

If one is able to recognize a drop of water, then he will be able to recognize the water of a small pot, the water of a big vessel, the water in a well, river water, and the water of a vast ocean. He/she will then be able to see the same water in whatever form it appears. In the same way, the one who has recognized the true nature of his soul will see an elephant, a horse, a bull, a camel, a human, and even animate and inanimate creation, all as the one God. There will be no question of different castes or religions.

How to Experience the Divine Within

The question now emerges, how can we recognize this soul and God within? In order to do this, we must use specific techniques. First, one must experience the Divine light, and then one can listen to the inner Divine Sound. The Koran addresses this:

"Those who have faith in Allah, then Allah is their protector and helper. Allah takes them from darkness to light." .....

If you want to get a glimpse of the divine light---the celestial form of the Divine---the aspirant may then ask: "What kind of path is this, and have others traveled this path?"

The Fakirs assure us that this path has been well traveled, and many sages and mystics---Mansur, Sarmad, Shams, Bu Ali, and others---have traversed its road. This is the path of pure devotion and love of the Divine, and it is not a difficult path.

Where then would we find the light of God?

Sant Kabir Sahib says:

"My prophet (the Divine light) lives in my eyes. When I focus between my eye brows I see the light of the Divine. I live in this inner space of my heart where resounds the celestial music of stringed instrument. My Beloved is always with me and takes me to the Palace of the Divine Sound."

Amir Khusro, a Muslim poet, writes:

"With the blessing of my teacher Khwaja I went to the Ganga River. There I saw the great Guru Swami Ramanand. He blessed me with his grace, and my heart became pure. The radiance of God manifested in my purified heart."

Guru Nanak Dev Ji said:

"0 Feeble Disciples! Take refuge in Guru. Go, get the key to this (spiritual) gate from an accomplished teacher if you want to open this tenth gate, the gateway to the spiritual realms. None other has the key to open this gate."

How do we see that inner light? The answer: When you have the grace of a pure spiritual teacher. Khwaja Sahib, a Muslim Fakir, says that just as Muhammad went from Mecca to Medina, in the same way we have to leave the nine gates of the body and enter in to the tenth gate. This is the door to the divine realms (ajna chakra). It is the practice of piercing the ajna chakra (the third eye, between the two eye-brows).

Now we live as slaves in the nine gated body. The gates are the two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, the mouth, and two organs of excretion. We are living in this nine gated body.

Saint Radha Swami, who lived in Agra, wrote:

"This body is permeated with darkness. We are under an illusion and we are deluded. Now we should search within for light and leave this nine gated body."

To repeat, as long as we live in the nine gated body we live in darkness. We must leave the nine gates and go through the tenth gate. How do we go from darkness to light, and what is the means for accomplishing this? This is only possible if an accomplished guru teaches us the path of escape from the darkness. Otherwise, we will remain in darkness.

As you open this gate you will be immersed in the Divine light of God. When you leave the nine gated body and go through the tenth gate, then you will go from darkness to light, and from untruth to truth. When you are able to see this divine light then you will begin to hear the divine inner sounds. This inner sound can not be heard with the physical ears, but only with the inner spiritual ears.

A Sufi Fakir, Yunus Emre has written:

"We entered the house of realization, we witnessed the body. The whirling skies, the many-layered earth, the seventy-thousand veils, we found in the body. The night and the day, the planets, the words inscribed on the Holy Tablets, the hill that Moses climbed, the Temple, and Israel's trumpet, we observed in the body. Torah, Psalms, Gospel, Koran---what these books have to say, we found in the body. Everybody says these words of Yunus are true. Truth is wherever you want it. We found it all within the body.

Communion or Meditation Practice

The practices of praise and prayer---glorification and invocation---are followed by communion through the practices of contemplation and meditation. The Sanskrit word upasana literally means sitting near God. The Saints distinguish four categories of upasana. The four basic practices are Manas japa ---Simran---Remembrance or the chanting of God's Name, Manas dhyana---contemplating the form of the Master, Dristi sadhana ---The Yoga of Light, and Nada-nusandhana---The Yoga of Sound.

[To be continued.....]

Re: Hazrat Inayat Khan - "he called me, Murshid"

Wed, 11 Oct 2006 14:22:54 GMT

Hummmmmmm, the Master has spoken.

There are so many wonderful stories about Murshid Hazrat Inayat……. Here is mine.

One time, while on retreat at the Abode of the Message, sitting and weeping in my little hut up on the hillside I noticed an abrupt change in me and in the atmosphere. A deep silence, the weeping stopped! And then I felt a presence beside me sitting next to me on the tiny cot. My heart understood this presence as Murshid Hazrat Inayat.

I had been saying the prayer Saum over and over and over. i had been in a terrible state of misery., and then I felt what my heart told me was the presence of Murshid Hazrat Inayat.

A peace filled my being, the weeping stopped, it was as if a sweet cool breeze had entered the hut, my being, and cleansed my heart. Blessed and quieted I lay down and enjoyed my first deep and healing sleep of many months.

Peace to all,
Peggy J (Qalbia Wali)

Hazrat Inayat Khan - "he called me, Murshid"

http://mettakaruna.gaia.com — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 12:57:12 GMT

One day I was walking in a city and met a dervish with a wonderful personality. He was dressed in a patched robe, but his speech, his voice, his thought, his movement, his atmosphere, were all most winning. At that time I was very young in the pursuit of philosophy. Youth is a time when pride has full play. So as we were walking along, and he called me 'Murshid', I was very glad. He addressed me as Murshid every time he spoke to me! Presently we met another person, who seemed to be without any education, without any knowledge of philosophy or religion or anything out of the way, but he called him 'Murshid' too. My pride was hurt, especially when next he came across a policeman whom he also called 'Murshid'. So then I asked my teacher what could be the meaning of all this, and he said, 'Your dervish showed you the first step towards recognizing God: to recognize all beings as your teacher. A foolish person can teach you, a wise person, a learned person, a student, a pious or wicked person, even a little child; everyone can teach you something. Therefore have this attitude towards everybody, then it may be said that you recognize God.'

from http://wahiduddin.net/mv2/XII/XII_I_12.htm

Re: Attar

http://spiritual-liberation.gaia.com — Sun, 24 Sep 2006 01:52:31 GMT

I love this!

Re: The Lover of Nature - Hazrat Inayat Khan

http://TickleAwakeningSport.gaia.com — Sun, 24 Sep 2006 00:03:54 GMT

neither are you the doer................ ........ nor are you the non-doer............ .................... ....... you are merely an Observer...(SaakshI) ..........Ashtaavakr a Gita

likewise,
SAR BARHAANA NEAYASTAM DAARAM KULLA HAI CHAAR TARK. TARK-E-DONIYA, TARK-E-MAULA, TARK-E-UQBAH, TARK-E-TARK
meaning
"I am not Empty headed. I wear a HAT of Wisdom, that has Four Directions.
1) Renounce the World
2) renounce God
3) renounce even Death and Birth cycles.
4) renounce the thought of Renunciation

KABOOM

Attar

http://mettakaruna.gaia.com — Thu, 07 Sep 2006 00:49:10 GMT

"Some Israelites insulted Jesus one day as he walked through the marketplace.

He answered them only by repeating prayers in their name.

Someone said to him, "You prayed for these men. Do you not feel anger at their treatment of you?"

He answered, "I could spend only what I carry in my purse." " ~ Attar

Entering The Path

http://mettakaruna.gaia.com — Thu, 17 Aug 2006 19:06:19 GMT

To enter the Path demands a metanoia, a change in perception.

My goal is to know through the eye and the vision...
the desire of the vision tells me: Rise up and move...
In the same way that the child washes his tablet
before inscribing his letters on it,
God transforms the heart with blood and pitiful tears
before engraving His mysteries on it. (Mathnawi I, 1821)
Come acknowledge that your imagination, your thinking,
your sensorial perceptions and your understanding
are like a reed stick on which the children ride.
(Mathnawi I, 3445)

Rumi

The Lover of Nature - Hazrat Inayat Khan

http://mettakaruna.gaia.com — Sun, 13 Aug 2006 13:48:24 GMT

The lover of nature is the true worshipper of God.

Bowl of Saki, by Hazrat Inayat Khan

Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan:

A true worshipper of God sees His presence in all forms, and thus in respecting others he respects God. It may even develop to such an extent that the true worshipper of God, the Omnipresent, walks gently on the earth, bowing in his heart even to every tree and plant, and it is then that the worshipper forms a communion with the Divine Beloved at all times, when he is awake and when he is asleep.

   from  http://wahiduddin.net/mv2/XIII/XIII_15.htm

Anyone who has some knowledge of mysticism and of the lives of the mystics knows that what always attracts the mystic most is nature. Nature is his bread and wine. Nature is his soul's nourishment. Nature inspires him, uplifts him and gives him the solitude for which his soul continually longs. Every soul born with a mystical tendency is constantly drawn towards nature; in nature that soul finds its life's demand, as it is said in the Vadan, 'Art is dear to my heart, but nature is near to my soul'. ... Nature does not teach the glory of God; it need not teach this as nature itself is the glory of God. People wish to study astrology and other subjects in order to understand better, but if we study astrology then we are sure to arrive at an interpretation which is given by a man, whereas what we should read from nature is what nature gives us and not what any book teaches us.

There comes a time with the maturity of the soul when every thing and every being begins to reveal its nature to us. We do not need to read their lives. We do not need to read their theories. We know then that this wide nature in its four aspects is ever-revealing and that one can always communicate with it, but that in spite of this it is not the privilege of every soul to read it. Many souls remain blind with open eyes. They are in heaven, but not allowed to look at heaven; they are in paradise, but not allowed to enjoy the beauties of paradise. It is just like a person sleeping on a pile of gems and jewels. From the moment man's eyes open and he begins to read the book of nature he begins to live; and he continues to live forever.

   from  http://wahiduddin.net/mv2/XI/XI_III_7.htm

'There is One Holy Book, the sacred manuscript of nature, the only scripture which can enlighten the reader.' Most people consider as sacred scriptures only certain books or scrolls written by the hand of man, and carefully preserved as holy, to be handed down to posterity as divine revelation. Men have fought and disputed over the authenticity of these books, have refused to accept any other book of similar character, and, clinging thus to the book and losing the sense of it have formed diverse sects. The Sufi has in all ages respected all such books, and has traced in the Vedanta, Zend-Avesta, Kabbala, Bible, Quran, and all other sacred scriptures, the same truth which he reads in the incorruptible manuscript of nature, the only Holy Book, the perfect and living model that teaches the inner law of life: all scriptures before nature's manuscript are as little pools of water before the ocean.

To the eye of the seer every leaf of the tree is a page of the holy book that contains divine revelation, and he is inspired every moment of his life by constantly reading and understanding the holy script of nature.

   from  http://wahiduddin.net/mv2/I/I_I_1.htm

Re: Two Hearts Met in the Waning of the NightTwo Hearts Met in th

http://mettakaruna.gaia.com — Mon, 31 Jul 2006 03:46:09 GMT

Oh, James... that is wonderful, thank you for posting this and your other jewels of much worth.

Metta

Two Hearts Met in the Waning of the NightTwo Hearts Met in the Wa

http://SantMat.gaia.com — Sun, 30 Jul 2006 20:39:58 GMT

Two Hearts Met in the Waning of the Night

Heart to heart and soul to soul --
     that is a true meeting,
Passing each other, coming and going,
     is not even an encounter.

Every grain of sand in the desert
     is a mirror;
Admidst your infinite reflections,
     your mad lovers are lost.

Escaping from the eyes of the stars
     and the glances of the flowers,
Two hearts met in the waning
     of the night.

Verses of Sant Darshan Singh
"A Tear And A Star" (from the Urdu language)

The purpose of meditation is to acquire love

http://SantMat.gaia.com — Wed, 19 Jul 2006 04:58:40 GMT

The purpose of meditation is to acquire love The purpose of meditation is to acquire love. Unless you conceive God through the identity of your self and soul with the Creator and creations, you cannot love Him.... You exist as Pure Consciousness. The sum total consciousness is He. He says, "I am omnipresent in every atom of consciousness." So if your mind and body are always conscious about that consciousness, you are with God. God exists in you as that Eternal Love. Love is the feeling of oneness. Love is the sum total magnet that pulls all towards One and can go on to every existence. That magnet with which you feel yourself one with all and find all in you is the Eternal Love.... Then you realize what love is. Love is everywhere. The magnetic field of the Spirit which can bind both into one, all into one, is the Spirit of God or the Spirit of Love, all-pervading, omnipotent.... Meditation is in the realm of the mind, but a time comes when that mind dissolves in the Ocean of Consciousness. When there is no more desire, there is no more 'I-ness' or 'my-ness', there is no longer an image of anything. You enjoy oneness with God. Anything you find is a part of you and you exist as the universe. That is the highest state of your spiritual practice. -- Sri Mentu Maharaj Discourses, Volume One The restless mind is put at rest, and the heart is illumined. In the forms I beheld the Formless, along with the Friend. Breaking the shackles, You set me free from all bondage. Now Inaccessible is accessible, and soaked in love is Kabir. -- Sant Kabir Says Kabir... A Collection of One Hundred and Ten Poems of Kabir Sushila Mahajan Deep & Deep Publications New Delhi

Anurag Sagar of Dharam Das and Kabir

http://SantMat.gaia.com — Sat, 15 Jul 2006 03:09:54 GMT

Anurag Sagar of Dharam Das and Kabir:
http://www.spiritualawakeningradio.com/anurag.html

From the first part of the Anurag Sagar (Ocean of Love):
http://www.spiritualawakeningradio.com/anurag_01_intro.pdf

I. Prologue

INVOCATION

SATYA SUKRIT, AD1 ADLI, AJAR: ACHINT PURUSH, MANINDER, KARUNAMAI, KABIR, SURTI YOG SANTAYAN, DHANI DHARAM DAS, CHUDAMANI NAAM, SUDARSHAN NAAM, KULPATI NAAM, PRAMODH GURU BALA PIR, KEWAL NAAM, AMOL NAAM, SURAT SUNCHI NAAM, HAKK NAAM, PAK NAAM, PRAGAT NAAM, DHIRAJ NAAM, UGRA NAAM, GRACE OF GOD, THE GRACE OF THE LINEAGE OF FORTY-TWO INCARNATIONS.

MANGLACHARAN: HYMN OF GOD'S GRACE

First of all I salute the Satguru, Who showed me the Inconceivable God -- Who, lighting the lamp of the Master's Knowledge and opening the veil, made me have His darshan.

With Master's grace I have achieved Him, to achieve Whom, scholars worked very hard.

His form cannot be described; His soul is the nectar in which I have absorbed myself.
_____

Notes:

INVOCATION: The names listed here after Dharam Das and Chudamani are the names of their successors in the Kabir-panth line; the invocation in its present form was inserted after the time of Ugra Naam, and is not an integral part of the poem.

SATGURU: Master of Truth or True Master. Esoterically, it refers to any Master, such as Kabir, who has descended from the fifth plane or Sat Lok, or who has merged with the Positive Power or Sat Purush. In this sense it is used throughout the Anurag Sugar as a synonym for Kabir. Esoterically, it refers to the Master Power manifesting on the level of Sat Purush, as distinguished from the same Power manifesting on the lower inner planes as the Radiant Form or Gurudev, and on the physical plane as the Guru. This trinity of Satguru/Gurudev/Guru is roughly analogous to the Buddhist Dharma Kaya/Sambhoga Kaya/Nirmana Kaya, or three "bodies" (forms or manifestations) of the Buddha.

INCONCEIVABLE GOD: Agam Purush. Refers specifically to the seventh inner plane, the first (partial) expression of the Absolute God or Anami.

DARSHAN: To have a look at, or to get a glimpse of, someone -- usually someone holy. The darshan of a genuine Master is in itself a valuable spiritual practice.
_____

Gurudev is perfect

The Master is an Ocean of Grace, He showers grace on the miserable ones.

Rare are those who know His secret: He manifests Himself in those who recognize Him. Who deserves it?

HYMN

Only the connoisseur, who will test the Shabda
And listen to the teachings with full attention
And within whom these teachings will dwell,
only he will understand this.

He within whom the Sun of Knowledge will manifest and remove
the darkness of attachment -- only he will understand this.
I am telling you this Anurag Sagar (Ocean of Love) -- only rare
saints will understand.

Without love one cannot achieve it.

COUPLET

Any learned saint who thinks over my words and has love in his heart will achieve Nirvana.

From the last part of Anurag Sagar:
http://www.spiritualawakeningradio.com/anurag_04_future.pdf

COUPLET

The Abode of Happiness where the Hansas will live happily is precious;

And all the Hansas, looking at the Radiance of Sat Purush's Form, will become happy.

THE END OF THE GRANTH

By speaking the Anurag Sagar Granth, I have explained to you the Secret of the Inaccessible.

I have described the Drama of Sat Purush, and the deception of Kal.

Only the connoisseurs will understand the ways of living and the Word of Discrimination.

One who will accept the Word after testing it, will know the Path to the Inaccessible.

The summary of the Granth {scripture}

Having faith in Master's Feet, and becoming firm in the devotion of True Naam,
One should act like a Sant or a Sati, who burns her body for her husband.

The Satguru is the Undecaying and Immortal Husband
Who never destroys.

I say this by the evidence of Shabda. One who accepts the Immortal
One becomes Immortal.

The soul who has hope from the Saint goes to the Immortal Plane.

0 Dharam Das! Awaken your mind and remain absorbed at the Feet of the Satguru.

Keep the mind -- the honey bee -- in the Beautiful Lotus Feet of the Satguru

And keep your attention at the Feet of the Master. Only then will you reach your permanent Home.

The Union of Surat and Shabda -- when one gets Shabda, he reaches the realm of the Saints.

It is the play of the drop and the ocean. What else can one say?

After meeting the Satguru, one understands the play of Shabda and Surat [the Sound Current or Naam, and the soul].

It is the union of the drop and the ocean. What else can one say?

Giving up the qualities of mind, one should follow the Path of the Master.

Such a soul goes to Sat Lok and derives Happiness from the Ocean of Happiness.

Understand the jiva as the drop, and the Naam of the Satguru as the ocean,
Says Kabir with proof: Dharam Das, understand this!

Re: Darkness to Light, from Light to Sound, Sound to Soundlessnes

http://SantMat.gaia.com — Fri, 14 Jul 2006 04:33:57 GMT

Surat Shabd Yoga Meditation

The method taught by the Masters of the Surat Shabd Yoga ..... the nature of Creation and the way back to life's Initial Source is explained to the seeker. At the time of initiation, he is given a first-hand inner experience which he is taught to develop. The seat of the soul is between and behind the eyebrows. This at least is accepted by all yogas. It is to this point that mystics refer when they speak of shiv netra, divya chakshu, tisra til, Brahmrendra, triambka, trilochana nukta-i-sweda, koh-i-toor, third eye, single eye, figuratively called the still point, the mount of transfiguration, etc. It is at this point that the sadhak, having closed his eyes, must focus his attention; but the effort at concentration must be an effortless one and there must be no question of any physical or mental strain. To assist this effort the teacher gives the disciple a mantra, or charged verbal formula, which is symbolic of the journey ahead. This formula, when repeated slowly and lovingly with the tongue of thought, helps the disciple to collect his scattered thoughts gradually at a single point. What gives this Mantra its potency is not any magic inherent in the words per se, but the fact that it is given by One, Who by His own Spiritual practice and mastery, has charged It with inner power. When the aspirant, by his inner concentration and by the mental repetition of the charged words, has brought his inward gaze to a sharp and steady focus, he will find that the darkness within that he at first confronted gets gradually illuminated by shifting points of Light. As his powers of concentration increase, the Lights cease flickering and develop into a Single Radiating Point.

This process of concentration, or the collection of surat, automatically draws the spirit-currents, normally dissipated all over the body, toward the spiritual center. This withdrawal is greatly assisted by simran or repetition of the charged Mantra; and the perception of the inner Light, leading to dhyan or one-pointed concentration, quickens the process still further. In turn, dhyan, when fully developed, leads to bhajan or inner hearing. The inner Light begins to become Resonant.

"Within thee is Light and within the Light the Sound,
and the same shall keep thee attached to the True One." GURBANI

The practitioner, when he shuts his physical ears, gets rapidly absorbed into the Music. It is a common experience that though Light can catch the eye, it cannot hold it for very long and has no very magnetic quality about it. But with Music it is different. He who hears it in silence and stillness is drawn irresistibly, as it were, into another world, a different realm of experience. And so the process of withdrawal that begins with simran is stimulated by dhyan, and is rapidly extended by bhajan. The spiritual currents, already moving slowly, are carried upward, collecting finally at the third eye--the seat of the soul. The spiritual transcending of physical consciousness, or death in life, is thus achieved with the minimum of effort and travail.

-- Master Kirpal Singh
Surat Shabd Yoga
Ruhani Satsang Books

Re: Darkness to Light, from Light to Sound, Sound to Soundlessnes

http://SantMat.gaia.com — Fri, 14 Jul 2006 04:33:09 GMT

Hi Metta:

Nice sharing these thoughts here at zaadz. Soon I'll be looking for some Kabir poetry to post.

Naamaste',

James

Re: Darkness to Light, from Light to Sound, Sound to Soundlessnes

http://mettakaruna.gaia.com — Thu, 13 Jul 2006 15:45:27 GMT

this is all good stuff... sorry I haven't responded lately -

thank you for these posts.

Metta

Darkness to Light, from Light to Sound, Sound to Soundlessness

http://SantMat.gaia.com — Thu, 13 Jul 2006 05:03:06 GMT

Darkness to Light, from Light to Sound, Sound to Soundlessness

"We travel back from the realm of Darkness
to the realm of Light, from the Light to divine Sound,
and from the realm of Sound to the Soundless state."

The individual soul has descended from the higher worlds [realm of the Divine] to this city of illusion [bodily existence]. It has descended from the Soundless state to the essence of Sound, from that Sound to Light, and finally from the realm of Light to the realm of Darkness. The qualities (dharmas, natural tendencies) of the sense organs draw us downward and away from our true nature. The nature of the soul (atman) draws us upwards and inwards and establishes us in our own true nature.

To go back to our origins means returning: withdrawal from the sense organs to go upward (by withdrawing consciousness) from the darkness to the realms of light and sound. In other words, to go inward from the external sense organs to the depth of the inner self. The natural tendencies of the soul (atman) are to move from outward to inward. The current of consciousness which is dispersed in the nine gates of the body and the nine senses must be collected at the tenth gate (the sixth chakra, the third eye, bindu, center between the eyebrows). Therein lies the path for our return. This is the act of leaving the gates of the sense organs and becoming established in the soul. We travel back from the realm of Darkness to the realm of Light, from the Light to divine Sound, and from the realm of Sound to the Soundless state. This is turning back. This is what dharma or religion really intends to teach us and it is the essence of dharma.

-- Sant Sevi Ji Maharaj,
Sant Mat Association of North America
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