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Saturday, May 22, 2010

Recommended Books on the Path of the Masters, Inner Light and Sound






Recommended Books on the Path of the Masters, Inner Light and Sound
 






1) The Philosophy of Liberation: My number one recommended book on Sant Mat is, The Philosophy of Liberation (Philosophy of Salvation). This is "THE Manual of Sant Mat", written from an Indian point of view for devotees of traditional Sant Mat. There is a translation of it online. 

There is a more recent and scholarly translation I highly recommend, which is only available as a hard cover book, via this site: 

Online excerpts from this translation: 

2) The Harmony of All Religions: At that same webpage, along with The Philosophy of Liberation, is another book: The Harmony of All Religions. 

Harmony of All Religions explores inner Light and Sound Mysticism in the world religions: Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Sikh, Islam, the Judeo-Christian tradition, and there is a chapter dedicated to Sant Mat. 
The Sant Mat chapter is online:

The Jainism chapter is online too:

Introduction/Hinduism:

3) Path of the Masters: There is a site where you can download the spiritual classic, Path of the Masters. The PDF File version is quite good. I see they have added some e-book options recently also:

4) Songs of Kabir: The recommend books above cover the technical, esoteric side of the Sant tradition. For the bhakti, devotional, poetic heart of Sant Mat -- the Way back to the Beloved Lord of Love, Songs of Kabir is a great example: 

5) The Bijak of Guru Kabir: The Bijak is the real "satsang template" of the Path of the Masters, providing the necessary ethical foundation, inspiration, and basic teachings of the Masters for living a spiritual life, a life of love in this human form, supplying the genuine background, context and principals of the Path. At the following website you'll see excerpts from the three primary sections of the Bijak: the Shabdas, Ramainis, and Sakhis: http://www.Kabir.ca

Hard copies: From that same site, affiliated with the Kabir Association, one can order two complete volumes of the Bijak (Ramainis and Shabdas).

6) Anurag Sagar: The Anurag Sagar (Ocean of Love), a kind of epic "Gnostic Gospel of Sant Mat", in the tradition of Kabir:

Anurag Sagar, hard copy, scroll down to "The Ocean of Love":

7) Radhasoami Mat Prakash: The first book on inner Light and Sound Meditation to appear in English was Radhasoami Mat Prakash ("Light on the Teachings or Way to the Lord of the Soul"), by Hazur Maharaj, published in 1897. It's also available online, serving as a great introduction to the Path of the Masters:

8) Kirpal Singh: The Kirpal Singh Website:

and at, Media Seva:

9) Adi Granth (Shri Guru Granth Sahib, Gurbani) online scripture:

10) History of Sant Mat, Surat Shabd Yoga, Radhasoami: The Sants - Studies in a Devotional Tradition of India - Google Books:

11) More History of Sant Mat and Spirituality: 
The Radhasoami Faith, A Historical Study, 
By Professor Agam Prasad Mathur, Agra:

12) Also see the new book, 457 pages: 
Petals of Love, 
By Agam Prasad Mathur (Dada Ji), 
ISBN 978-81-89920-84-5

For a copy, write: 
Radhasoami Satsang, 
Hazuri Bhawan,
Peepal Mandi,
Agra - 282 003
INDIA

13) There are of course many, many other books one can mention. At the following links page, scroll down to "BOOKS ONLINE" for many many more:

Sant Mat Poetry from India: Saint Namdev: Archived Show on Demand - Spiritual Awakening Radio


 
Sant Mat Poetry from India: Saint Namdev: Archived Show on Demand - Spiritual Awakening Radio - Click the Link to Hear Streaming Audio: 




Namdev Books in English: "Hindi Padavali of Namdev", by Winand M. Callewaert


From Poetry Chaikhana -- Sacred Poetry from Around the World: "Namdev was born in 1270 or 1269 AD into a family of low-caste tailors, though as he grew he showed little interest in the family profession or in any worldly affairs. .... Namdev came under the influence of the bhakti poet-saint Jnanadev, who was several years his senior. Namdev became a wandering minstrel, traveling through the countryside chanting and singing songs of devotion. In his fifties, Namdev settled down again and a group of devotees gathered around him. It was in the household of Namdev that Janabai served as a maid, a revered poetess in her own right." 

God* is the One in Many

He is the One in many,
countless are His shapes and forms.
He pervades all that exists;
wherever I look, He is there.
But very few perceive this reality,
for Maya ever enchants us
with her multiple reflections
of color and alluring beauty.

Everything is Gobind*,
Gobind is everything.
Nothing that exists
is without Gobind*:
the one thread strings
innumerable beads --
Prabhu* Himself is the thread,
the threader, the threaded.

River and waves,
foam and bubbles
have all their being
within water itself.
This play of things
is the sport of Parbhama*.
The One cannot be thought
different from the other.

Hope is a lie
and desire a mere dream --
yet both are construed
as actual reality.
But when my guru
gave me his holy wisdom,
I awoke from my dream
and my heart yielded.

Namdeva says,
Behold Hari's* creation;
ponder upon it
with all your heart,
and you will see
that in every pore,
in every living thing,
there is only the one Murari*.

*Names of God: Gobind, Prabhu, Parbhama, Hari, Murari:

Jai Guru, All for the love of Wisdom and radio,
James
Spiritual Awakening Radio, and, Sant Mat Radio


Namdev Books in English: "Saint Namdev", Published by Radha Soami Satsang Beas (in the 'Mystics of the East' Series)