Living a Spiritual Life - Ahimsa Teachings from the Saakhi Granth

Living a Spiritual Life -- Ahimsa Teachings from the Saakhi Granth of Guru Kabir, Part One: "Never speak harsh words! Understand the importance of sweet words and bring them into use. Look at the sacred water of the Ganges. Its pure water has made its way through mountains, i.e. we can, by using sweet words, make friends with persons possessing the toughest of hearts." (1008 Kabir Vani, Compiled by Lalchand Doohan Jigyasu, Translated by Kunwar Anil Kumar, Dedicated to Pandit Shri Hajoor Uditnam Saheb, Published by Manoj Publications, Delhi) [To be continued......]

Significance of the Yoga of Inner Light or Bindu Dhyan

Significance of the Yoga of Inner Light or Bindu Dhyan, By Swami Achyutanand Ji

[Note: This is one of the first posts in the English language translated from Hindi featuring the teachings of Swami Achyutanand Ji.]

Below are translated excerpts from the book "Bindu – Nada Dhyan" authored by the octogenarian Sant Revd. Swami Achyutanand Ji Maharaj, one of the eldest living disciples of Maharshi Mehi Paramhans. Swami Achyutanand Ji, one of the most eminent scholars on Santmat, has had the rare fortune of a long & close serving association, spanning more than two decades, with Maharshi Mehi Paramhans who initiated him into sannyas (monkhood) and appointed him as the founder editor of the spiritual monthly magazine "Shanti Sandesh" (Message of Peace) published by Maharshi Mehi Ashram, Kuppaghat, Bhagalpur, Bihar, India. Swami Achyutanand Ji has a number of books to his credit: "Santmate Ki Baten", "Navadha Bhakti", "Bandaun Guru Pad Kanj", "Maharshi Mehi Ke Ashirwachan Aur Upadesh", "Sukti Sudha Sagar", to name a few. He currently also edits a spiritual quarterly titled "Adhyatma Prakash" (The Light of Spirituality) published from Maharshi Santsewi Dhyanayogashram, Kolkata, India.

- Translated into English by Pravesh K. Singh

(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sant_santati
http://profiles.yahoo.com/praveshksingh)

Extolling the importance of bindu-dhyAn or drishTi-yoga, Baba Devi Sahab writes, "DrishTi means `sight' or `vision'; it is not made up of flesh and blood. This power to see or the sight is a powerful thing which has revealed a lot of hidden disciplines of learning & scientific knowledge to the world; the secrets of the various types of `siddhis' (supernatural attainments or extrasensory powers) can also be known or obtained by no other means than this. DrishTi is the first step or technique of yoga–vidyA (Science of Yoga); the technique of drishti–sAdhan or the practice of the Yoga of Inner Light is so wonderful that it does not cause any discomfort, difficulty or pain to any part of our physical body. By means of this, the practitioner is able to quickly realize the clues or secrets which have been eulogized in heavenly or divine books on God, and then, all the rules & principles governing the world, which can not be attained by merely reading and listening to all the books lifelong, keep standing in humble subservience, attendance before such a person." (Satsang Yoga, Part II authored by Maharshi Mehi Paramhans Ji Maharaj)

Goswami Tulsidas Ji has written,

"shri gurupad nakh maNigan jyotI |
sumirat divya drishTi hiya hotI ||"

[The nails of the lotus feet emit dazzling light matching that emanating from a heap of jewels or gems |
Meditating upon which (the practitioner) acquires Divine Vision ||]

Explaining the above couplet, our most adorable Guru Maharshi Mehi Paramhans has very exquisitely driven home the significance of bindu dhyAn:
"This (drishTi Yoga) is extremely convenient to practice. Such troubles & diseases, as may arise out of efforts at fixedly looking in the middle of the eyebrows by overturning or upturning the pupil & the eye ball with our eyes open or closed, staring at the lower tip of the nose, focusing at a mark in the outside world, etc, are not at all used in the practice of drishTi yoga. Persons do not apply any pressure on the pupil of the eyeballs but keep on imaginatively looking in the central region of eyebrows. Steps or components of prANAyAm like rechak, pUrak and kumbhak get automatically executed during drishTi yoga. As the practice of drishTi yoga enhances concentration of awareness, the process of respiration gets automatically slowed down. PrANAyAm gets inherently performed for the practitioner of drishTi yoga who is thus saved the troubles and tribulations that might result from exclusive practice of prANAyAm alone. DrishTi yoga is such an exquisite means that the sixth chapter of Shrimad Bhagvad Gita portrays it alone as being capable of producing the inner divine calm.

DrishTi yoga refers to the process of converging the currents of consciousness, emanating out of the two eyes, in a point. In doing so it is extremely undesirable to apply, in any manner, any extra pressure on the eyeballs or pupils; to the contrary, such an attempt might lead to trouble or pain in eyes, which might, if the practice is not stopped, cause disease or distortion of eyes. Shrimad Bhagvad Gita instructs (the practitioner) to look at nAsAgra (in the front of the nose). However in an effort to stare constantly, by tilting the eyes, at the lower or upper portion of the nose, ocular troubles or maladies are caused. In fact, unless and until the two currents of vision meet in a point, drishTi yoga will not be effected. Whatever is seen by way of looking at the lower tip or the upper portion of the nose can not be a point. A point is that which exists but does not have any length, breadth or thickness. A mark made even with the tip of a hair will surely occupy some space, albeit extremely small. Therefore, a point cannot be formed by approximation. That which possesses merely length and no width or thickness is termed a line. Even a line can't be drawn by approximation, because a line drawn with even the narrowest hair-tip would surely have some breadth. Two lines intersect in a point. This (drishTi yoga) is the only technique that can make the two currents of sight converge in an absolute point. It is not permitted by Guru to detail this method further; this skill can be learnt from a true adept and only then the true import of the term `nAsAgra' of Shrimad Bhagvad Gita can be understood correctly & exactly." (Excerpted from the Ramcharit Manas Sar Sateek authored by Maharshi Mehi Paramhans Ji Maharaj)

However much one mastered the art of bindu dhyAn or drishTi yoga in the outer world, it would never yield the benefits that can accrue from the drishTi – yoga or bindu dhyAn done internally (with eyes closed). A context in the Mahabharata is worthy of consideration here. A bird is sitting in a tree. Guru Drona, the royal teacher, asks each of the Kaurava & Pandava princes, one by one, to take an aim at the bird's eye. None except Arjun gave a satisfactory answer when asked what it was that they were seeing. When none could satisfy him, Drona finally asked Arjuna who was aiming at the bird's eye, "what is it that you are seeing?" Arjun replied, "only the eye of the bird and nothing else, Gurudev!" Drona commanded him to shoot, and Arjuna pierced the bird's eye with his arrow. Such was the extent of concentration Arjuna had acquired; so concentrated was his sight! And yet, the same Arjuna piteously pleads before Lord Shri Krishna:

"chanchalam hi manah Krishna pramAthi balavaddriDham |
tasyAham nigraham manye vAyoriva sudushkaram ||"

-Shrimad Bhagvad Gita Chap 6/34
[O Krishna! This mind is extremely restless and highly turbulent. Just as wind is so difficult to control, I find it too obstinate to be subdued easily.]

This admission of Arjuna makes it obvious that even though the outward vision is extremely collected or concentrated, it does not necessarily imply that the mind also can be reined in. But if one turns one's sight inwardly (that is, keeps eyes closed) and practices bindu dhyAn, it is certain that the task of controlling the mind would be accomplished to a good extent; and subsequently, if the Quintessential Sound that keeps ringing be grasped within, the mind would get dissolved. Therefore, the method of closing the eyes and meditating upon the inner point is regarded as an easy & absolutely safe or risk-free means to mind – control. The Upanishad says:

"bIjAksharam param bindum nAdam tasyopari sthitam |
sashabdam chAkshare kshiNe nihshabdam paramam padam ||"
[The Absolute "Bindu" or Point is the seed of all akshara (alphabets) or forms; "NAda" or the Divine Sound is perceived above after that. |
NAda is situated above (beyond) the bindu. (That) Nada, too, is lost or dissolves in the Soundless State which is the eternal Brahman [God, Anami Purush]. ||]

Bindu is the seed of akshara and the nAda or the Divine Sound keeps naturally ringing there (the bindu). Therefore for the nAda dhyAn or the Meditation on the Divine Sound through which the mind can be tamed completely, bindu dhyAn is highly desirable. Mind gets completely collected or concentrated in bindu. Concentration leads to vertical Ascension. (The soul along with the mind) enters into the astral sphere transcending the gross sphere, that is, reaches into the Sphere of Light having crossed the sphere of darkness and experiences supernatural bliss by beholding the Divine Dazzle there. It is why (the authors of) the Upanishads and Sants have extolled the glory of bindu dhyAn. The (above-mentioned) benefits accrue out of the bindu dhyAn.

 

 

Always, always meditate day and night - Kabir, Tukarama

Mystic-Poetry of the Sants of India: Tukarama and Kabir: Always, always meditate day and night

The Sant Mat Blog: Inner Light and Sound:
http://santmat.gaia.com/blog

Tukarama: Invoke God With Love, and Utter His Name Time After Time

When I utter Thy name,
my mind becomes composed.
The tongue enjoys
a stream of ambrosia.
Good omens of all kinds take place.
The mind is colored in Thy vision,
and becomes steady on Thy feet.
One becomes satisfied.........
Desires come to an end........
Happiness meets happiness,
and there is no limit
to blessedness.

The whole body
feels cool
when one meditates
on the Name.
The senses forget their
movements. . . . . .
By the sweet nectar-like love
of God, one is
full of energy and
all kinds of sorrow depart it immediately.

The body which was hitherto unclean,
becomes lustrous by the power of
the Name, the mind is purified,
and repentance puts a stop to one's
accumulated Karma.

The evil passions are conquered;
all the impulses are nipped in the bud
by the power of the Name.

One should sit at a place,
concentrate his mind,
invoke God
with love,
and utter His name
time after time.
I swear by God's name,
says Tuka,
that there is no other way
of reaching God:
indeed, this is the easiest
of all ways.

(Mysticism In India -- The Poet-Saints of Maharashtra, R.D. Ranade,
SUNY Press, NY)


Kabir: Your Heavy Load is Taken Off --
Meditation Will Remove All Your Burdens

Meditation leads to salvation's door:
Go to heaven --
why go back to the world?
In the house of the fearless One,
where music, unstruck, sounds,
you shall play trumpets.

Meditate upon Him in your heart.
Without meditation there is no salvation. (Rest)

Unfettered meditation
brings salvation:
Your heavy load is taken off.
Welcome Him in your heart,
so you will not be born
again and again.

Blissful meditation
will light a lamp inside you
that does not need any oil.
This lamp will make you immortal;
this lamp will draw out the poison
of lust and anger.

Pierce this meditation
that gives you salvation,
and wear it around your neck.
Never take it off.
Meditate always:
Your guru's grace will get you across.

Meditation will free you
from dependence on others:
You will sleep on silken sheets at home.
Your heart will be at peace;
your life will blossom:
Deeply drink this meditation.

This meditation
will erase your blemishes;
you will be free from Maya's touch.
Meditate, meditate, and sing,
"Hari, Hari" [God, God]. You will obtain
this meditation from your true guru [Satguru].

Always, always meditate day and night:
When you rise, when you lie down,
when you breathe in, when you breathe out.
Waking or sleeping,
relish the taste of meditation --
meditation will bring union.

Meditation will remove all your burdens;
meditation upon Ram's name
will become your support.
Kabir, says, "He is limitless."

(Songs of Kabir from the Adi Granth, Nirmal Das, SUNY Press, NY)

August Sant Mat Satsang PODcast at Blog Talk Radio

August Sant Mat Satsang PODcast at BlogTalkRadio, on the Path of the Masters

Go to the Main Page:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/SantMatFellowship

Program Length: 50 Minutes

The Sant Mat Satsang Podcast for August originally aired on Saturday 8-15-09 but is now available 24/7 on-demand as a podcast, along with several other 2009 podcasts, at the Sant Mat Fellowship site via BlogTalkRadio: Direct Link to the Latest Podcast:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/santmatfellowship/2009/08/16/the-august-sant-mat-satsang-podcast-by-james-bean

The Sant Mat Podcasts are a series of programs from an Indian perspective, covering some esoteric subjects for a specialized audience interested in the Path of the Masters and Meditation Upon the Inner Light and Sound of God.

Program Contents of the August Sant Mat Satsang PODcast

The Masters do have much guidance to share about those 22 hours each day that take place between meditation sits! A life limited to action alone is missing literally many other dimensions, yet a life of only contemplation would not fully be alive either. The Eastern Vision is to live a life of both contemplation and action, to be open to all states, physical, dream state, unconscious, and spiritual states.

Hear Bhajans of Kabir and Jayadeva. Readings are from the following sources: Sar Bachan Radhasoami Prose, by Swami Ji Maharaj; Sar Bachan Radhasoami Poetry (one could say, the Forgotten or "Lost Gnostic Gospel" of Sant Mat), by Swami Ji Maharaj, both volumes translated by S.D. Maheshwari, Agra; An Ahimsa Prayer of Ramesvarananda Sahab found in the book, Praises to a Formless God, by David Lorenzen; The Dawn of the Third Millennium by Kirpal Singh; Prem Patra Radhasoami, by Huzur Maharaj Rai Saligram, Agra; The Philosophy of Liberation, by Maharshi Mehi; The Five Precepts; and from the chapter on Right-Speech from an ethical manual of the Sants known as the Saakhi Granth of Guru Kabir, translated into English by Kunwar Anil Kumar, in, 1008 Kabir Vani, Manoj Publications, New Delhi, India.

In God-Bhakti,
James
The Sant Mat Satsang Podcast
Spiritual Awakening Radio

Who Was Tulsi Sahib's Guru? --- My Thoughts --- Sant Mat History _(James) : SpiritualAwakeningRadio.com Sant

Param Sant Tulsi Sahib (1763 - 1843)



Tulsi's earlier name was Dakhani Baba, meaning, "Saint from the South."

It occurs to me that the whole archetypal Prince Siddhartha-like story of Tulsi Sahib belonging to the royal lineage of the Peshwas, running away the day before what would have been his coronation, etc.... might simply be viewed as apocryphal accounts composed and believed by others decades or even centuries after-the-fact without necessarily there being any actual historically verifiable basis for such beliefs. The same can be said of a connection between Tulsi Sahib and a mythic character by the name of Ratnagar Rao, alleged to be a successor of Guru Gobind Singh. Still have not found a single historic reference to anyone by the name of Sant Ratnagar Rao living in ANY century. On the Guru Gobind Singh-Ratnagar Rao connection -- the theory that Gobind Singh lived much longer than the history books record and could have appointed a successor such as Ratnagar Rao: "Agam Prasad Mathur and S. D. Maheshwari, however, do not accept this heterodox proposition--primarily on the grounds that it is 'not historically true,' [*NOTE: Agam Prasad Mathur, op. cit., page 24. *] because the 1708 date for Gobind Singh's death is accurate." (David Lane)

(A few have a belief that there was a guru by the name of Ratnagar Rao who was a successor of Guru Gobind Singh and that eventually he initiated Tulsi Sahib. If there were such a connection to the Ten Sikh Gurus, that would be fine with me. If there was a Sant Ratnagar Rao that once lived somewhere, at some time in the past - wonderful. I would gladly post his shabds on the web. So far however, I'm not seeing evidence for any direct historic connection between Sant Tulsi Sahib and Guru Gobind Singh, and thus far, nobody has been able to provide any evidence for the existance of a Sant by the name of Ratnagar Rao as a historic person.)


Sant Das Maheshwari in the book, Param Sant Tulsi Sahib: "Tulsi Saheb, too, has not written anything by way of himself introducing himself and his family. It is said that he was born in the Peshwa family in the city of Poona." OK --- where is it that, "IT IS SAID"??? Apparently the whole basis for that story came not from Tulsi himself but what others eventually said about him or came to believe after his death, in other words, the lore and legend that developed around Tulsi many years later. Sant Das Maheshwari: "There is a book entitled 'Surat Bilas' in which mention has been made of many miracles performed by Tulsi Saheb during the days of his travels, like curing the sick, reviving the dead, restoring vision to the blind, giving wealth to the poor and blessing the issueless with a son. People quite often associate such stories with the life history of Mahatmas with a view to enhancing their status." Despite that statement, S.D. Maheshwari then proceeds to quote the very same hailographical book of 'Surat Bilas' as a source about the alleged life and times of Tulsi Sahib during his younger (apocryphal?) Peshwa days. I would say, unless there are other historical documents confirming some actual Peshwa connection, then those stories are not reliable at all, have no basis is fact whatsoever.

The only evidence we have for Tulsi Sahib's past associations and possible guru connections is provided in the form of the internal evidence of the books Tulsi authored: Shabdavali; Ratan Sagar, Ghat Ramayan and Padma Sagar, and that the same approach which is used by Nag Hammadi scholars to analyse the textual, theological or spiritual influences upon the authors of Gnostic gospels should also be applied to the writings of Tulsi Sahib! In other words, we can learn much about Tulsi's influences and past affiliations by closely examining what writings he quoted from, what gurus he mentioned and mentioned most frequently, what groups he was most critical of, the mystical terminology he used, and what guru, spiritual path or School of Mysticism matches or most closely resembles Tulsi's.

In my view, the internal evidence, the clues directly provided by Tulsi in the books he authored, suggests the following: Tulsi Sahib thought of himself as the reincarnation of Tulsi DAS, author of an earlier version of the Ramayana. Tulsi Sahib said in a past life he wrote the Ramayana and that the purpose of his book Ghat Ramayana in his new incarnation was to openly reveal the esoteric secrets hidden in the earlier Ramayana. If Tulsi Sahib was Tulsi Das in a past life, I suppose then we could say that according to Tulsi Sahib, the initiating guru of Tulsi Sahib was the initiating guru of Tulsi DAS. Mystery solved. Whatever we might make of this past life claim however, I believe there is internal evidence supplied in his writings suggesting Tulsi's SAHIB had very real Sant Mat influences and guru associations during his incarnation as Sant Tulsi Sahib of Hathras.

Tulsi's spiritual path was classic Sant Mat -- the Sant tradition of India, and its spiritual practice known as Surat Shabd Yoga.

Tulsi Sahib: "Nanak, Dadu, Dariya Saheb, Mira Bai, Soor Das, Kabir and Nabbaji have all reached the Mystic Sky and have given out the secrets. Their souls have got across and merged there.

"Though their teachings are one and the same, their ways of teaching are different. Indeed, all Sants have proceeded along the same path. All of them ascended along the same Current of Shabd (inner Sound), and got across......

"What Sants have said about Sant Mat is what they saw with their own eyes. They have sung of it in the form of couplets and hymns.....Sants have spoken of the secrets of Shabd and the path on which Surat has to proceed......" ("Param Sant Tulsi Sahib", translated into English by S.D. Maheshwari, Agra, India)

Maheshwari: "Tulsi Sahib's works consist of Shabdavali; Ratan Sagar, Ghat Ramayan and a small unfinished book called Padma Sagar. Shabdavali is a collection of miscellaneous compositions set to different ragas (scales) of Indian classical music, and deals with various aspects of Sant Mat. Ghat Ramayan and Ratan Sagar have been written in the form of dialogues with disciples and seekers. Ghat Ramayan deals with the various religious doctrines prevalent at that time, and explains their meaning in the light of Sant Mat. Ratan Sagar deals with the mystery of creation, heaven and hell, Kal or the Negative Power, karmas, mind and death. It also sings the glory of perfect Saints and extols the value of their company and satsang. Lastly, it explains how Saints take care of the soul of the disciple when it leaves the body.

Tulsi said that he had "sat at the feet of Sants". He also said he had a guru, was initiated by a living Master into Shabd Yoga.

This is an interesting quote found in the book, Tulsi Sahib, Saint of Hathras, RS Book Department: "Although there is no direct indication on whom Tulsi Sahib's master may have been, there has been some pointed discussion on the question. Pandit Pandurang Sharma, a Marathi scholar, in the June 1931 issue of Vividh Gyan Vistar writes, "[Tulsi Sahib] was initiated by a guru in the town of Hathras, and under the instructions of his guru in the town of Hathras did intensive meditation." One wonders who the Unknown Guru might have been.

Tulsi quoted from the book Anurag Sagar, a Dharamdasi Kabir panthi text, a book ONLY used, ONLY recognised by the Dharamdasis, but rejected by all the other Kabir Panth groups. Tulsi referred to Sant Dharamdas as being "The Spiritual Successor" of Guru Kabir, also suggesting a Dharamdasi influence since the other Kabir Panth branches do not teach that Dharam Das was the primary successor or even a successor of Guru Kabir. In one of Tulsi's books there is a major dialogue between Tulsi and someone by the name of Pool Das of the "Kabir Panth" (Dharamdasis) about the real esoteric meaning of Kabir's teachings.

From the book, Tulsi Sahib, Saint of Hathras, RS Books: "Tulsi Sahib's works include words and expressions of Sanskrit, Arabic and Persian, the last being the court language. of the time in most of the royal courts in the South. These languages, along with Marathi, must have constituted a part of his education. But, besides these, he has freely used words of Braj, Avadhi, Rajasthani (Marwari), Gujrati, Punjabi and Maithili, which leads one to conclude that, like many other Saints, he must have traveled widely in V.P., Rajasthan, Gujrat, Punjab and Bihar. But his permanent abode was a hut in the small village of Jogia, situated on the outskirts of Hathras. He lived here until he passed away in 1843 at the age of 80."

Tulsi liked Sufi mystics. Sufi themes can be found in his writings, what I call the tradition of 'the lover and the Beloved'. He probably did hang out in Rajasthan for a time, home of the Dadu Panthis. In any case, he was rather fond of quoting Sant Dadu Dayal's mystic poetry. And Bihar was home to a very influential and towering figure in Sant Mat history by the name of Sant Dariya Sahib. According to Maheshwari, Tulsi mentions the name Dariya Sahib NINE TIMES in his work known as the Ghat Ramayana. For a number of years, both Tulsi and Dariya were alive at the same time. Tulsi Sahib and Sant Dariya's spiritual successors in Bihar were also contemporaries, which has caused me to seriously speculate that perhaps one of those gurus was the initiating guru of Tulsi Sahib. For the record, the names of Sant Dariya Sahib's sucessor-gurus were Guna Das and Teka Das.

There are many parallels between Tulsi and Dariya. Both believed they were Sant Mat gurus in their past lives, Daria as the reincarnation of Kabir; Tulsi Sahib as the reincarnation of Tulsi Das. Both seemed to be reformist voices speaking out against corruption and the growing ritualism of the older Kabir Panth and other Panths, seeking to reaffirm the esoteric teachings, mystical experiences of inner Light and Sound, and the spirituality of the Sant Tradition. Both liked quoting the Anurag Sagar, a holy book composed and used by the Dharamdasi branch of Kabir Panth, and shared much of the same vocabulary, imagery, and specific understanding of the inner regions. Both in fact seemed to represent the same Sant Mat "School of Thought", what Professor Mark Juergensmeyer called "Esoteric Santism." Juergensmeyer was actually the first one to connect Tulsi Sahib to the Dharamdasis (the People of the Anurag Sagar), an earlier generation of Esoteric Kabirian Santism, though apparently on a spiritual decline during those days, at least according to both Dariya Sahib and Tulsi Sahib.

NOTE: See, The Sants, edited by Karine Schomer and W.H. McLeod, as well as the book, Radhasoami Reality, by Mark Juergensmeyer, for thorough discussions about Dharamdas, the Dharamdasis of Kabir Panth, the Anurag Sagar, Dariya Sahib, and possible connections to Tulsi Sahib. See pages 24 through 29 of the book, Radhasoami Reality, Online at Google Books -- The Origins of Esoteric Santism:
http://books.google.com/books?id=slX3eRycszMC&dq=radhasoami+reality&printsec=frontcover&source=bl&ots=YCFiDpN_yy&sig=5i2ZXLNbcnoOajxQeorXDeRYlxI&hl=en&ei=FeprSrb0DozUMuvzrPkG&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4

I still find little direct resemblance between Tulsi Sahib's teachings and style with those of Guru Gobind Singh. As with my earlier posts, I continue to find the TEACHNGS or "Mat" of Sant Tulsi Sahib to MOST RESEMBLE that of Dariya Sahib of Bihar, also with a heavy influence of the esoteric teachings to be found in the Anurag Sagar and similar works studied in the branch of Kabir Panth known as the Dharamdasis (the followers of Kabir and Sant Dharamdas). I continue to suspect that Dariya's guru lineage interfaces with the Dharamdasis somewhere along the way, and that either Tulsi has a connection to Dariya's group, or that both independently have a similar parallel relationship or history that ultimately goes back to Dharamdasi gurus in the Kabir line of Masters. This conclusion is mostly based on reading the writings of all three that have appeared in English thus far: the works of Dariya, works of Tulsi, and Dharamdasi books.

Maheshari in Param Sant Tulsi Sahib: "Tulsi Saheb used to go often to places quite far from Hathras wrapping his body in a blanket and with a stick in hand. He usually used to remain in a state of withdrawal, and in that very state, an incessant flow of utterances concerning the secrets of higher regions used to emanate from his mouth like a babbling stream. Ghat Ramayan, Shabdavali (collection of hymns) and Ratan Sagar are well known works of Tulsi Saheb. Another book which he wrote but remained unfinished is Padam Sagar. All these books were written after Tulsi Sahib's coming to Hathras.......

"Near the above mentioned banyan tree, a stupendous two-storeyed building had been constructed later on by Tulsi Saheb's devotees, which is still there and in which he stayed till he left his mortal coil. In this very building there is a place marked, where Tulsi Saheb used to sit whilst initiating people in Sant Mat. There is also a hemispherical cave where he used to practise Bhajan." ("Param Sant Tulsi Saheb", S.D. Maheshwari, Agra)

Cool that Tulsi Sahab was once known as Dakhani Baba and meditated in a cave. I know of some Babas who are alive in 2009 and that, like Tulsi Sahib, also meditate in caves. :)

In the Love, Light and Sound of the Beloved,

James Bean

 

 

Shabds of Param Sant Tulsi Sahib

Shabds of Param Sant Tulsi Sahib


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


My Beloved has left me in an alien region. I have been separated from Him. Alas! Wretched sleep is not coming to me, nor, O friend, am I blessed with the advent of the dawn. Weeping all night, tears have been flowing from my eyes, and I have been sighing and bemoaning. (1) Waves of yearning keep on biting me like a cobra and, without the Beloved my restlessness is intense. Like one struck by lightning, I smart in pain and agony and my heart palpitates. (2) A great fire rages in my heart, although it does not give out any smoke. I lie alone on my bed as though my separation had been preordained. (3) From whom shall I try to know of my Beloved's whereabouts and where to shall I write letters enquiring of him? I shall smear my body with ashes, and put on the garb of a Yogin (female ascetic). (4) On having found the Sat Guru, I shall adopt His Saran (refuge, protection), and I shall follow the path to my Beloved's abode. My heart's desire, says Tulsi, is that my Surat [soul] may meet the Beloved. (5)


O Friend ! My Guru has shown me the inaccessible and original abode. He has enabled me to understand the true faith, and perceive Surat and Anhad Shabd. I have had Darshan [vision] of the Beloved and have recognized His abode. All this could not be achieved without the mercy and help of the Sant. (1) Shabd [Divine Sound] resounds in the region of Sunn [void]. Catch hold of it, recognize the easy path, and train yourself to this end. (2) Recognize the goal which knows no form and delineation, and yet each pore of that Being has the refulgence of a crore of suns. (3) Says Tulsi that he is the dust of the holy feet of the Sat Guru. By His mercy and grace, he has been able to see the highest and the eternal abode. (4)


The ocean of existence is unfathomably vast and without any port of safety. It cannot be crossed --- If you meet Sat Guru, the boatman, then only will you get across and reach your abode. The world is a net which Maya [illusion] has cast for the Jiva [soul]. Says Tulsi that, under the sway of greed and attachment, the Jiva [soul] wanders in the transmigratory cycle.


Concentrating your Surat repeatedly, remain withdrawn towards the region of the eyes [eye center, third eye]. Cleansing the mirror, as it were, of the body and mind, let your Surat [soul] proceed on. If you get the opportunity of looking beyond, you will find the truth. Says Tulsi, if you become the dust of the holy feet of the Sant, you will see refulgence.


Whosoever took proper care of his Surat [soul], did not have any fear of Kal [lord of time]. His Surat ascended, and on rushing to Gagan [inner mystic sky] reached her Lord. She met her Beloved on repairing to the abode at Agam Pur [inaccessible region]. Says Tulsi, the illusions, delusions and misery of innumerable lives were thus obliterated.


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 there is neither sound nor any form. It is beyond Sunn [void] and Maha-sunn [great void]. (2) The gunas [attributes] and nirguna [formlessness] 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)


--- Param Sant Tulsi Sahib, translated into English by S.D. Maheshwari, Agra

With Cries from the Heart, the Search for a True Guru Begins

With Cries from the Heart, the Search for a True Guru Begins

By Lars Jensen


{"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}


[Mr. Lars Jensen is a project manager (civil eng.) in Stockholm (Sweden). He tells, "I was born in a country where no one understands spirituality. Hardly any people believes in God in Sweden. Even if this country is a desert of spirituality, I had an inner longing to finding the truth, since the early childhood. I wondered about the mystery of life and death.... " Mr. Jensen received initiation in Santmat in July, 2008. He has tried to share his experiences and understanding on True Guru with us. -- SadGuruMehi.com]

A million speak of love, yet how few know; true love is not to lose remembrance even for an instant. It can only be called love, if you yearn for the Lord in the same way as a man is yearning for air, when he is drowning and fighting for his life under the water. You can only be said to have a thirsty heart if you can drink the whole ocean and your lips will remain dry like a desert. Only such blessed soul will reach the highest goal of life.

When the soul begins to awake from its deep slumber, no worldly forces can undo with the tears and yearning of the heart. At that blessed moment the life takes a turning point and the search for the Lord starts. It is the Lord from within our own heart calling us back home. From that very moment the destination of the soul is fixed. The cry of the heart will not stop until the goal of the heart is reached and the union with the Lord is accomplished.

While explaining the meaning of a poem "Builders" in the examination hall this inner force stroke the heart of the young boy Ramanugrah Lal (later known as Sadguru Maharshi Mehi) and his viewpoint of life suddenly changed within a twinkling of an eye, as if he was hit by a lightening of intensive yearning. He left the examination hall immediately and never returned. From that moment he was ever restless wondering in search for a true Guru that could give him the inner contact with the Lord. Finally the search was completed when he met Baba Devi Sahab and through Baba Devi's influence and spiritual guidance it is told that he ultimately achieved Salvation.

So spirituality is like an infection that can be caught but not taught. Once a God-realized soul is met; spirituality is caught like an infection going from one heart to another heart. The goal of spirituality is to establish this connection with the Source at level of soul and have nothing to do with any lower level of mind, intellect or emotions. Spirituality is only to be found at the level of soul. So how can it be found if search is made at another level where it is not? So a connection at level of soul is essential in spirituality. This connection is only possible to establish by the help of one who already has this inner connection with the Source. Only when such a God-realized Soul is met, we can be colored in the color of spirituality. To find a true Guru is therefore a must.

God as ordinate this way and so it is confirmed in all our Holy Scriptures. This is the true Religion, which is the same for all human beings and that never has changed and never will change, as it is old as mankind and created by the Lord Himself. Even all our Competent Masters of the past went to a master since the Lord has ordinate this way. Jesus the Christ went to John the Baptist and Kabir went to Ramananda. They themselves were more developed than their own masters, but they went to a master as an example for us to follow. If such high personalities had to go to a master, why do we think that we could find the way back to God by ourselves? God is the unseen Power over all working. So God needs a human pole through whom He can speak, how else He can speak with us?

So to get this inner connection with the Lord a spiritual Guru or Master is necessary. But who is the Master? This subject is very misunderstood. Guru Nanak says: "God is the true Master and the soul is the true disciple".

The Master is always one. Because God is one, He is not two. It doesn't matter if He comes in different human forms like Jesus, Guru Nanak, Kabir and so on. The Master remains the same. It is the God Power in them who is the Master, not the body, and this God Power is always one and the same. So Jesus and Christ were two. Jesus was the human pole in which the Christ power, Master Power or God Power manifested itself. Everything is revealed in our Holy Scriptures, but we do not understand them properly. Christ said: "I was before Abraham." (John 8:58) But it is obvious that Jesus, the human body, was not living before Abraham. Christ said: "I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." (Matt 28:20) But Jesus, the human body, died at the cross. So who spoke these words? Of course these words were not the words of Jesus, the human body, but the words of the Christ Power or God Power. So it is the God Power in them who is the Master and not the body. And that God Power is not limit to manifest Itself only one time in the history or in only one body. So that Power has manifest itself in all God-realized soul of the world. So there may be many different lamps, but the light from them remains the same. If a friend of yours comes in different clothing, would you not recognize him?

So a God-realized soul never says he is the Master for it is the God Power who works through him who is the Master. He says he is a servant of this God Power. If he claims himself as a Master, he can never be a Master. Never so far a true God-realised soul has claims himself as a Master. The one, who really has seen that God Power controlling and working through the whole creation, can never claim himself as the doer or as the master, its impossible. And so it is confirmed in our Holy Scriptures. Jesus the Christ never said that he was the doer, but the Father in Heaven. Guru Nanak and Kabir stressed the same thing and Guru Gobind Singh even told: "Whosoever calls me God will fall into the pits of hell; I am but His lowly servant." Prophet Mohammed also claimed that God is the only doer: "There is no God except God", "I myself am only a servant and a prophet witnessing of Him." So no true Master ever proclaimed himself as a Master.

So God Power is the only one who is Competent to help us. He is the one who can drag your attention up. He can take you above the body consciousness, the five senses, the intellect and the mind, into the beyond. So God have sent you to this world, but He has also sent someone to take you back home, through whom He is saying: "Come children, come back Home." And that is through Sants.

So the way back to God starts with the yearning of the heart. That Power from within will surely draw the true seeker to the right place where the true Guru is to be found. When the candle is lighted, the moths would themselves fly to it. Where there is honey, all true bees will come up, but for those who can't smell the difference how can they come?

If someone can't smell the difference, what to do? If the yearning is not strong enough, so that God Himself drags you to the right place where the true Guru is to be found. What to do? If you try to search for the true Guru by your own effort, how to find him? By own effort it is impossible, to find him. But some guidance is helpful.

So how to find a true Guru?

It is told that the true Guru can not to be found in a million, maybe in a billion. Just think, how many other Competent Masters was contemporary with our Competent Masters of the past? As for example, how many other Competent Masters came at the time of Christ? He was the only one. There were of course many other so-called teachers, but who were they? They were the priests and scribes whom wanted to crucify Christ and they claimed themselves as the only true mouthpiece of God. So the God Commissioned person is very rare to find and mostly he comes alone. If there are more than one at the same time, they will work as one unit, since it is the same Power working. So he is the rare one, the rare personality, that is Commissioned from God, but he would never say "he is the Master" and he doesn't act or pretend to be like one either. Everything is not the same. A so-called guru is not the same thing as true Guru.

Accordingly the true Guru is very hard to find. So when we search for true Guru we must be aware, because obviously there are also 100 000 so-called masters, who are not commissioned by God and who are not doing His Work. But who are they? Man has the power to discriminate, because if he does not discriminate then he looses his life. All Competent Masters have defined very clearly that we should discriminate. What is true and what is false? All misguidance is due to our own ignorance. But the Holy Scriptures tells us that ignorance is no excuse, the followers should at least know what they are following. So some guidance is needed to avoid that the so-called gurus catch the seeker, because then the golden opportunity of this human life is lost.

So how to recognize if a guru is the true Guru?

This is a very rare subject and very seldom talked about, but without this knowledge many souls will come under the influences of a so-called guru. No blind faith is accepted by the Lord, if you have not seen for yourself, never believe in the guru. Disciples are not needed, but conscious co-workers of the divine plan. By being around a true God-realized soul your own consciousness will be developed and the inner experiences will come, if you follow his instructions with wholly and solely devotion. But if you remain ignorant being around a guru, the guru himself is ignorant, because spirituality is like an infection going from one heart to another heart and no power can undo with it. So being at the company of a true Guru you must get this injection of spirituality. How can you come in contact with sandalwood without getting the smell? If you don't get the smell it is because it is not real sandalwood. So if no positive change is made at level of soul and consciousness, this guru is probably not a true guru.

If there was no difference between a guru and an ordinary man, then what is the purpose of going to a guru? The true Guru is a God-realized soul, having an inner and direct contact with the Divine Source. Having an inner contact with the Divine Source will naturally also reflect outside on his true living and pure character. So accordingly there are some criteria that a guru must fulfill in order to be a true Guru.

A true Guru must have pure character since he has raised above all the poisons of the senses, ego and mind. Whereas the so-called guru has a worldly character even so he tries to hide it. Any sign of anger, ego, lust, greed or worldly attachment is a sign that he is not the true one.

Since a man's inner state is reflected outside, a person can be known by his living. The true Guru, whose heart is pure, can be recognized through his pure living. The so-called guru, whose hearts is not pure, can be recognized through his impure living. The so-called guru act and pose a lot, so his impure living will properly not be seen if you don't come close to him and see him acting in his daily life.

There are 100 000 ways to be misled in the world, but there is only one way back to God. So everything that takes away your attention from your goal, that is God, is a hindrance. So in the direction in which a guru draws your attention, you can see if he is genuine. If he is the true one, then he will draw your attention to God since this is the goal. If he draws your attention to other so-called things like fulfilling our wishes, getting health, getting peace of mind, healing power, miracles power, himself as a person, prophesies and so on, he can never be the right one. All these so-called things are nonsense, because what does it have to do with God, and by following it you will never know God. Where you have your attention, there you also have to go. The true guru's only goal is to take us back to God and he is living and doing for this purpose alone.

Since it is the Mission of God, it must be done in Gods name alone, and in no other name. Never a true Guru claims himself as the doer or as the Master and never he takes money for his service done in the name of God. It is a universal law of God that everything that comes from God is free.

The teaching of the true Guru is in accordance with all our Holy Scriptures and also in accordance with all Saints of the past. Whereas the teaching of the most so-called gurus are contrary to the Holy Scriptures and to each other. While still other so-called gurus repeat the teaching of the true Guru, since with some training anyone can teach it. But to give the practical demonstration, the first hand experience, is very difficult.

The true Guru must be able to give you a first hand demonstration of rising you above the body consciousness, so you can have the inner experiences of the beyond. The right inner experience that is in accordance to all our Holy Scriptures. Until you do not see with your own eyes, do not believe your guru. He must also be able to answer your questions, without you even putting them. The true Guru will know your heart even better than yourself. Only when such a Soul is met, we can be colored in the same color. Life comes from Life as Light comes from Light. It is only an awakened Soul that can rouse us from our deep slumber.

This is some of the signs of a God-realized soul. This teaching is very precious for those souls, who are lost in the search of a true Guru.

So spirituality starts within your own heart. It is like a wildfire that has caught into flames in the heart -- like the fire in the forest, nobody on earth can extinguish it, it will go on and on. This wildfire burns all the desires of the world and makes everything of this world appear dry and empty. The only thing that remains in the heart is the thirst for the water of life and the yearning for the Lord. This yearning for the Lord should be our ruling passion of life, and it should be just as strong as the hungry yearns for food and the thirsty yearn for water. Even God Himself looks for such a soul. Where there is fire, oxygen will come to help. Where there is a burning heart who yearns for the Lord, help will also come. So you only need develop such a condition, and you do not need to look for God, because God Himself will come after you. The blind one can not find the hand of the seeing one. Only the seeing one can take the hand of the blind one and lead him to the right place. So He selects us. The God Power from within will draw such a soul to the feet of a Competent Guru, just as happened to the young boy Ramanugrah Lal (Maharshi Mehi).

Pray to God that He may come to you, because this world is a jungle of so-called masters. It is almost impossible to find the true Guru by our own effort. After all you can not find Him, if He doesn't want to be found. Only He can find you. Only the seeing one can find the blind one, never it can be the opposite. So make a prayer to God that He will come to you!

But if you have a thirsty heart which holds you awake all night, then the God Power from within your own self will draw you to the right place where the true Guru is to be found. So all that is needed is a thirsty heart, because even God Himself looks for such a Soul.

So Spirituality is very simple indeed. You only take away your attention from the world and instead direct it to God. Spirituality is just as simple as that. ////////

Narada Bhakti Sutras - The Path of Spiritual Love

Narada Bhakti Sutras - The Path of Spiritual Love

Narada Bhakti Sutras - The Spiritual Manual about Cultivating Love and Devotion: One of my top five most favorite holy books of all time, though my preferred translation and commentary is the one published by Sri Ramakrishna Math in Madras. This book is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand Sant Mat, meditation practice, or any God-based spiritual path, East or West! A Great Hindu Scripture on the Bhakti (Love and Devotion) Aspect of Spirituality:

https://reluctant-messenger.com/bhakti-sutras.htm

 

 

 

 

Love is everything, and without it everything is meaningless

Love is everything, and without it everything is meaningless

A Great Hindu Scripture on the Bhakti (Love and Devotion) Aspect of Spirituality:

https://reluctant-messenger.com/bhakti-sutras.htm

Love is the Quintessence of this world and the creation. This is the greatest requirement of every living being, and one without it is lifeless. These are some verses from the Saakhis of Guru Kabir, in the book, 1008 Kabir Vani, compliled by Lalchand Doohan Jigyasu, translated by Kunwar Anil Kumar, Manoj Publications, Delhi.

The feeling of love which fluctuates every moment can in no case be considered true love. Love is something which never decreases and which keeps one engrossed in itself all the time, and then only it can be called true love. Everyone saw the lover (of God) getting in love, but where is that love now? This love is nothing but emotion. One, who, in the name of love, starts weeping one moment and laughing the other, cannot be a true lover (of God). This is only an illusion.

A heart, in which there is no love, should be considered a cremation ground, because such a heart seems dead and gives an impression of being devoid of feelings. It is the same as the bellows of a blacksmith, which is made of the leather of an animal which breathes in and out despite being inanimate (the blacksmith stokes up the fire by pumping air out of it).

Love is never governed by any rule, there is no abstinence and there is no binding. One who is in love (with God), does not think of gains and losses, and 'mine and thine' is not their concern. Love, under all circumstances, is free from such things. Once someone is deep in love, he forgets everything and in such state of affairs who will care for what day or date it is.

Love is like a deep sea. Only that lover (of God) who will dive into it fearlessly shall be able to get the pearl of ultimate happiness in it. And one who will not be able to muster up enough courage to dive into it, shall remain sitting at the beach. He will remain without love in this world. How will he get the pearls of ultimate happiness then?

The outwardly appearance has absolutely no meaning if there is no love in one's heart. It is useless even talking about it. Unless the love is truly in practice, wearing an outwardly appearance is meaningless and is a sure sign of ruin.

Only those who have true love in their hearts attain true knowledge. Without love, one may cling to any number of rues, he will not be able to attain self-realization. And so, one should have true love for his Satguru, and this is the only way one can attain true knowledge and enjoy eternal peace.

Love is everything, and without it everything is meaningless. And so, do not fear offering your head while stepping on the path of love. Do not have attachment to yourself and to the world even in your dream. Such lover (of God), who is loved by his Satguru, becomes free from the life-and-death cycle.

Becoming God-Union With God In Meditation, Verses By Sant Sevi Ji

Becoming God - Union With God In Meditation, Verses By Maharshi Santseviji Paramhans

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

Verses composed by Maharshi Santsevi ji Paramhans are very few in numbers; in fact, his prose itself had a lucid inimitable poetic style (his discourses left the audience spellbound). Presented below is the English rendering of a Hindi verse, underscoring the way & importance of meditation, composed by Sadguru Maharshi Santsevi ji Paramhans (1920-2007), the charismatic exponent of Santmat, excerpted from the book titled "Bhajanawali" compiled by Swami Achyutanand Ji Maharaj, the founder Editor, Hindi monthly "Shanti Sandesh" (Message of Peace) brought out by Maharshi Mehi Ashram, Kuppaghat, Bhagalpur, Bihar, India, and also the current editor of the spiritual quarterly "Adhyatma Prakash"(The Light of Spirituality) brought out from Maharshi Santsevi Dhyan Yogashram, Kolkata, West Bengal.

- Translated by Pravesh K. Singh

[ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sant_santati ]

The Original Verse (Transliterated Hindi Version)

"Sarvesh ko bhaj le sujan, akhilesh ko tU pAyegA |

Bishvesh ko upalabdh kar, tU wahI ho jAyegA ||1||

Man se mantrAvritti kari kari, IshTa vigraha dhyAn bhI |
Yug drishTi sUrat ek kar, ghaT jyoti jugnU pAyegA ||2||

vidyut sitAre bindu shashi, ushA prabhA ravi pUr bhI |
lakh jyoti anupam brahma kI, agh punj jal bhun jAyegA ||3||

Jyoti mein sun shabd anahad, dhun anAhat ko parakh |
sat shabd chetan dhAr dhari, dhur dhAm nischaya jAyegA ||4||

Santsewi ko batAyA, Sant Mehin marma yah |
Hai dharm ab terA sujan, kar karm ur prabhu pAyegA ||5||"

TRANSLATION

O wise People! Worship/meditate upon the Supreme Lord of the Whole Universe, whole Nature (Gross and Conscious). |
Having realized Him (within through inner meditation), you would become He Himself.||1||

Mentally (internally) chant the mantra (given by the Guru), try to visualize the form of your desired deity (in the inner sky, as taught by the Guru). |
Making both the currents of your sight/vision meet, you would see the light of the glow-worm within your own body. ||2||

(As you continue with the Drishti Yoga - Yoga of Inner Light), you would also behold within yourself flashes of lightning, stars, refulgent absolute point, moon, light of dawn & morning, sun, etc.|

This Divine Light seen within would scorch the stockpile of your sins. ||3||

While beholding the dazzling Divine Light (you would also) hear myriads of phonetic sounds, as also the Quintessential/Primordial Unstruck Melody. |
Grasping on to the conscious current of the Eternal Unstruck Word (Sound/ Melody), you would surely get entry into His exclusive Kingdom (where He alone lives in His true state). ||4||

Sant Sadguru Mehi taught this secret (of inner meditation) to (Maharshi) Santsevi. |

Now it is your duty, O Wise Men, to implement the above into practice, and, thus, you are bound to find Him within yourself .||5||

More Couplets of Swami Santsevi Ji

Begin meditation with internally chanting or repeating the Guru-mantra-incantation (the charged words given by the Guru). And then try to 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 or liberation. ////////