Return Again, Awake, O Soul of Splendor!
Meditation is the soul's Portal to the Divine, a Doorway to God and the Heavens that are within. Place your mind before the mirror of eternity. Place your soul in the brilliance of glory. Place your heart in the figure of the divine substance and transform your entire being into the image of the Godhead itself through contemplation. Meditate upon the Love, Light and Sound of the Positive Power within you.
When darkness is no longer dark, when the stillness of the night gives birth to a faint Celestial Melody, know this: one more soul is being summoned to awakening, one more soul hears the Call, one more soul ascends to the Place of Life. (from the article, 'Seeing Heaven as a Real Place', by James Bean)
0 Surat [soul]! You have had enough sleep.
Now get up and proceed on. Why do you waste your capital here.
Come under the protection of Satguru. Hold fast to Nam and get rid of all evils.
Kal strikes at you every moment. Associate yourself with Shabd, and throw away the load of karmas.
Why do you not wash off the impurities of your mind now? Why do you not merge your Surat in Shabd?
Behold the marvelous Jyoti (flame) within yourself. Radhasoami has opened the spring of Bhakti.
-- Swami Ji Maharaj (Sant Radhasoami Sahab), Sar Bachan Radhasoami Poetry, Volume One, Published in Agra, India)
On Inner Light and Sound Meditation Practice
Below is Excerpted from a Sant Mat Satsang Discourse of Parampoojya Shri Shahi Swami ji Maharaj, Translated by Pravesh Kumar Singh
Kabir Said: "BAsa surat le AvaI, shabda surat lai jAya. Parichaya shruti hai sthire, so guru daI batAya."
[Cravings bring or drag the jiva (non-liberated individual soul) into this world, while the Sound (the Quintessential Unstruck Melody) takes us beyond, back to its true, original home. The surat [attention-faculty of the soul] becomes still (becomes free from movement into endless cycles of birth & death) as it gets acquainted with or meets Him. Guru has taught me (says Kabir) the technique for this (making the surat still).]
Shri Shahi Swami Ji Maharaj: "When our sight becomes fixed, the World or Domain of Light opens up, a spotless Sun is seen. And, thus, "raina andherI miTa gayI, bAjai anahad tUra" (The dark night has come to an end, and countless varieties of enchanting sounds are heard reverberating.), as described by Sant Kabir, is realized in practice. The art to this practice is secret or confidential (has to be learnt from an adept master or Guru). However, obstinacy won't help here (It is to be noted here that obstinacy is distinct from tenacity of purpose – Translator). For this, one has to begin with `Manas Jap' – reciting internally or mentally, with full concentration, the holy mantra given by the Guru – and then has to internally visualize the gross form of the Guru (known as `Manas Dhyan'). Manas Jap puts a brake on the restlessness, flirtatiousness or naughtiness of the mind, whereas Manas Dhyan orients the mind in one particular direction, and, thus, one becomes introverted. `DrishTi SAdhan' or Drishti Sadhan (The Yoga of Light, which has to be practiced after Manas Dhyan) helps accomplishing the single – mindedness and one can testify to the veracity of the Sants' claim "Vindu (Bindu) me tanh nAda bolai" (Nada or Sound reverberates in the Light or Vindu). `Nada Dhyan' enables to realize the Supreme Sovereign Soul. This is what Sants and Great Souls teach."
Meditation: God Resides Inside - Look, Listen for Him There
"My soul, 0 most Splendid One...where have you gone? Return again. Awake, soul of splendor, from the slumber of drunkenness into which you have fallen...follow me to the place of the Exalted World where you existed in the beginning." (Mandaean Gnostic psalm from Iraq quoted in, The Gnostic Religion, by Hans Jonas, Beacon Press)
"The individual soul has decended from the Soundles State to the essence of Sound,from Sound to Light, and finally from the realm of Light to the realm of Darkness.....[In meditation] 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." (Swami Sant Seviji Maharaj)
"Look for and search for God within yourself, within your own body. God resides inside - look for him there. The white point shines straight ahead and twinkles. You must concentrate in sushumna [inner passage or tunnel, central channel, middle path**] by leaving the restlessness of the mind behind. Where the subtle sounds vibrate in the ajna chakra [third eye center, point between the eyebrows**], stay and make your dwelling. The Door is subtle and sushumna is the Point or Window. With great effort, you can go through." (Sant Maharishi Mehi)
** NOTE: ajna chakra, sushumna nadi tube: Accessing the Third Eye Center and the tunnel of Light, in meditation with eyes closed, has been described as like looking at a blank tv screen waiting for the program to begin. In this case, the "video" is inner vision: the manifestation of Divine Light. Maharishi Mehi described a bright white twinkling light. This has been called by the Sants of India: "Jagmag Jyoti" or the Twinkling Light that emanates from the astral Thousand Petal Lotus region (Sahans-dal Kanwal).
The Third Eye Center is also known as The Seat of the Soul. When one goes within, in addition to the possibility of contemplating Divine Light, in this world of Inner Space there is also the possibility of hearing "subtle sounds vibrating" (Maharishi Mehi). This is referring to the Inner Sound Current or Music of the Spheres, the Sound coming from Beyond the Silence (Logos, Word, AUM, HU, Tao, Nada, Shabda, Saunt-e Sarmad, Song of the Creator). Often people first hear the Astral Bell Sound, a kind of ringing, like a bell that has been struck that keeps on reverberating .... forever. This ringing comes when we concentrate, and like the Light, seems to "disappear" when we loose concentration and leave off our meditation practice. The Sound and the Light are really still there, are always there. It is only our attention (surat) that comes and goes.
Important Teachings from the Anurag Sagar (Kabir's Ocean of Love)
"Oh Dharam Dass! The soul which is a part of God has been imprisoned in this human body. This soul has fallen in love with mind which is a negative power and it (soul) has forgotten its own Home and Supreme Master ...(God)."
"KAL is very clever. He knows many methods to trap the souls. He deceives them and swallows them."
"Under the influence of KAL a human being has forgotten his own identity. KAL has put him under illusion and entangled him in worldly pleasures. So he does all bad deeds. Though he was given this human life to drink the nectar of 'Naam', instead he is drinking poison."
"Kal has entangled people in illusions to such an extent that they have totally forgotten their real Home. Kal has woven such a net that now it is difficult to get released from it. These traps are rituals and rites, scripture reading and worship, and performing Yagyas (oblations). These have nothing to do with realisation of God."
Kabir Sahib said, "If a person understands the tricks of KAL and realizes that mind is the real enemy, then after getting initiation he can conquer mind and come out of the cycle of 84."
"Illusion is like a deep well where there is all darkness. The mind (Kal) throws the souls in that deep well and eats them up."
Internal Illusion of Kal -- Lower Kal-Light -- False Light
"When we collect the scattered thought and focus it behind the eyes, we first see a light called "Sakha Jot" and then at that very place appears "Jhilmil Jyoti". Showing these lights, Kaal arrests the souls (Jeevas) there. The third "Jagmag Jyoti" or the Twinkling Light is in the Thousand Petal Lotus region. Only the saints see this Light. This is above the eyes and below the "Turiya Pad". This real Light is known only to the saints." (Anurag Sagar)
Dharam Dass: "Oh My Master, during meditation, some persons see Jhilmil Jyoti (flickering light). Which is that stage of meditation where this 'Jhilmil Jyoti' is visible? Kindly explain to me about that". Kindly tell me about the stage where this 'Jhilmil Jyoti' appears as well as about the god who manifests there."
Kabir: "Dharam Dass, mind is the agent of Niranjan and performs in our body just like Ashtangi (the primordial power) doing work of Niranjan. This secret is revealed only through a Guru."
"Light at the region of Sunn is due to mind and various doubts arising within are due to mind."
"Mind, created by KAL, rules over the three regions (Bhulok, Pata Lok and Akash Lok). It has full control over them. It is not under any other power. Only Naam (Word) can control it."
"Mind, created by KAL, rules over the three regions (Bhulok, Pata Lok and Akash Lok). It has full control over them. It is not I under any other power. Only Naam (Word) can control it."
"In reality there is only one Naam or Word or power but due to the confusion created by mind, we recite various names during worship. Since we have not recognised/realised our SELF, we are deceived."
"People worship various gods and goddesses to fulfill their wishes. But to come out of the cycle of 84, we require the help of SATNAM (True Name, Word)." (Anurag Sagar)
Initiation and Protection from Above, Following the Path of Sants
Kabir Sahib said, "If Naam or Word given during initiation is manifested within and the Light emanating from It is seen, then all ignorance goes and KAL cannot come near that soul since Word manifested Guru is the Master of the whole creation. Till one hears the unstruck Sound (Word) within, Kal in the form of a snake, does not leave the soul. Caught in the illusions, the soul has forgotten the Real Home. It is difficult to escape from the powerful KAL. Naam (Word) is the only Power to control him. Just as a snake charmer controls a snake by reciting a mantra, similarly Word given by Guru can control KAL."
"Naam" is the remedy for all ailments."
Kabir Sahib said, "Kal cannot come near the power of Word and Sumiran Bhajan."
"If a person adopts a Master and having faith in him, gets himself initiated, does meditation with devotion then he can become a hans (pure soul). Such an attainment is priceless. His Master (the personification of Word) will take him step by step to Sahansdal Kamal, Trikuti, Daswan Dwar, Bhawar Gupha, Sach Khand and after a short stay, to Alakh, Agam and Anami Desh which is the highest eternal Region, the Ultimate Abode."
"Oh Dharam Dass! If a person gives up all doubts, meditates regularly on Naam imparted by the Master, and behaves in the manner the saints behave and follows in their footsteps, that is, he listens to the Sound Current within himself, then he can tread the path of saints in search of the Highest Truth. There is a Sound Current coming from the Final Abode and calling you to come. So if you listen to that Call, then you can ascend like saints." (Anurag Sagar)
RADHASOAMI -- The Ocean of All-Love
Swami Ji Maharaj: "From one step to another the soul beholds strange things which cannot be described in human language. Every region and everything is utterly beyond words. What beauty and glory! How can I describe them? There is nothing here to convey the idea. I am helpless.... Love plays the supreme part. It is all love. So says RADHASWAMI."
