Light and Sound on the Path:
A Digest of Newly Posted Spiritual Quotes and Announcements
At Youtube: An excellent newly recorded introduction to the Journey Within according to Sant Mat, Part 1:
E-Book and Audio Book Online: Yoga of Inner Light and Sound -- Several E Book Formats To Choose From! Click the Speaker Icon in the Upper Right Corner For the Audio/Talking Book Option and Enjoy!
Sant Mat Radio Podcast: The Opposite of "Not One Of Us" is "We Are All One". Co-Exist! Welcome to our classroom without walls via the radio airwaves and worldwide web: The Nirguna Bhakti Sant Poet-Mystics of India: When has there ever been "only one" Sant Mat guru or true "Gurumukh successor of the time" in Sant Mat history? The answer is: never has there been only one Satguru at a time. There have been multiple genuine guru-lineages contemporary with one another since the time of Guru Kabir (and his successors) and Guru Nanak (and the Sikh Gurus). Program Length: 60 Minutes. Click to Hear This Edition of Spiritual Awakening Radio:
https://youtu.be/J7EUbWsPq60?si=gRiBD_01EJP5nghh
https://youtu.be/J7EUbWsPq60?si=gRiBD_01EJP5nghh
Sant Mat Radio Podcast: Charts of the Heavens -- Maps of Inner Space: Quite amazing actually that there is a general consensus about the different planes on the part of those who practice advanced meditation today, and during previous generations. And not only in Sant Mat. The other day I was reading a Sufi book which presented the same basic understanding of the inner regions, suggesting that some Sufi mystics have experienced the same inner regions also. There is a consensus universally in Sant Mat about the Light, the Sound practice, and the Inner Regions -- what experiences will be encountered along the way in meditation: stars, moons, suns, dark voids, tunnels/the whirlpool cave, bright light, etc.... References to the Inner Regions turn up everywhere, even in the teachings of Saints who lived several centuries ago in different parts of India. There are references to Trikuti, Maha Sun, Bhanwar Gufa, etc.....in the bhajans of Mirabai, Dariya Sahib of Bihar, Tulsi Das, Ravidas, Tukarama, and countless others. "All mystics speak the same language for they come from the same country." (Louis-Claude de Saint-Martin) Program Length: 60 Minutes. Click to Hear This Edition of Spiritual Awakening Radio: https://youtu.be/UUcdNJUm_DA?si=kdM6aqYxjBvcAr3K
The iconic spiritual classic, "Path of the Masters", by Julian P. Johnson, is an online book, uploaded by various people at several sites on the web. On this page there is a speaker icon in the upper right corner. By clicking it, you can hear the book being read aloud -- the "Read This Book Aloud" option. You can change the page being displayed, and click the speaker icon again to hear any part of the book being read!
"There is only one time when it is essential to awaken.
That time is now." (Buddha)
"What we are today comes from our thoughts of yesterday, and our present thoughts build our life of tomorrow: our life is the creation of our mind.
"If one speaks or acts with an impure mind, suffering follows them as the wheel of the cart follows the beast that draws the cart.
"What we are today comes from our thoughts of yesterday, and our present thoughts build our life of tomorrow: our life is the creation of our mind.
"If a man speaks or acts with a pure mind, joy follows him as his own shadow.
"'He insulted me, he hurt me, he defeated me, he robbed me.' Those who think such thoughts will not be free from hate.
"'He insulted me, he hurt me, he defeated me, he robbed me.' Those who think not such thoughts will be free from hate.
"For hate is not conquered by hate: hate is conquered by love. This is a law eternal.
"Many do not know that we are here in this world to live in harmony. Those who know this do not fight against each other.
"He who lives only for pleasures, and whose soul is not in harmony, who considers not the food he eats, is idle and has not the power of virtue - such a man is moved by MARA, is moved by selfish temptations, even as a weak tree is shaken by the wind...
"Those who think the unreal is, and think the Real is not, they shall never reach the Truth, lost in the path of wrong thought.
"But those who know the Real is, and know the unreal is not, they shall indeed reach the Truth, safe on the path of right thought."
-- Buddha, Dhammapada, from Chapter One, Translation by Juan Mascaro:
"If thine eye be Single, thy whole body shall be full of Light". (Yeshua, New Testament)
"He who remembers the Poet, the Creator, who rules all things from all time, smaller than the smallest atom, but upholding this vast universe, who shines like the sun beyond darkness, far far beyond human thought; and at the time of his departure is in union of love and the power of Yoga and, with a mind that wanders not, keeps the power of his life between his eye-brows, he goes to that Spirit Supreme, the Supreme Spirit of Light." (Krishna, Bhagavad Gita)
"Who am I; what is the reality of my existence; what is the Truth are some of the questions that agitate a spiritual seeker's mind. None of these questions can be answered fully, since these questions as well as their answers arise at the level of mind, whereas the truth thereof can only be realized, not by the mind but at a level beyond the mind, at the level of the Self. All the scriptures attempt to provide answers to these questions in their own way, but no explanation or description can be fully satisfactory, as the Truth cannot be comprehended completely in words....."
"To realize the Truth, one has to first realise the Self, because the essence of the Truth is the same as the essence of the Self....." (R.K.Gupta, The Science and Philosophy of Spirituality)
"The great philosopher Socrates was asked by Crito 'in what manner should he be buried?' It is said that Socrates had replied: 'In any manner you like, but first you must catch me, the real me. You can bury only my body and not the real me.' Being the irradiation of the all-shining luminous Sat Purush, the soul is also luminous." (R.K. Gupta, The Science and Philosophy of Spirituality)
"When the Lord wants one of his souls to come back Home, He makes that person feel lonely deep inside, like something is missing. This is the Great Lord's special way of reminding the soul that its Real Home is not in this world but back in the ocean of Light. God has placed an invisible secret door in every human being. God sends his own Great Power, Mercy and Love down into our world to find the marked soul drops and bring them back Home. This Great Power is called a True Living Master and lives inside a human body that looks like yours and mine. He makes a faithful promise to take the soul back Home. He shows that person how to close his eyes, sit very still and lovingly remember the Great Lord. His mind becomes so peaceful and quiet that he is able to hear the wondrous wave of Sound and seek the shining Light of the stream that flows all the way back to Ocean of the Lord."
-- The Journey of The Soul:
Kabir says, "When the drop loses itself in the ocean, then all the worries are finished." (Saying of Kabir quoted by Sant Dharamdas in the Anurag Sagar)
"In the inner realms of being, there is a shower of beautiful shimmering rays of Light, and also the rain of divine nectar of divine Sound. In these two forms is found the true divine elixir within. There has always been a talk of this nectar in the myths and legends, but no one has seen this nectar. What is this true elixir?
"Guru Nanak says:
'Those who follow the True Guide (Satguru) find the nectar in the form of Divine Sound.'
"Guru Nanak tells us that one must seek this inner Light, this inner Sound, and this nectar through the following technique:
'In each heart the Divine resides hidden; each heart is permeated with divine Light.
'By intense focus one is able to break the door open and reach the Realm of the Divine. By the grace of God the door shatters, and the mind becomes immersed in the sweet drizzle of divine Sound.
'By focusing on the divine Sound (Shabda) the consciousness goes beyond the realm of death and rebirth.'
"While journeying within, the seeker at first experiences the Anahat, the divine vibrating Sound, and then the Anahat Sound, the transcendental un-struck Sound which reverberates in the depth of the soul. This is also known as Omkar. Through Omkar the entire creation came into being.
"The tenth Guru, Gobind Singh sings the praise of the divine Sound:
'OM is the Sound of the beginning. Through this Sound the whole world, the earth and the sky. came into existence.'
"It is said in the Prana Sagali:
'The Sound is the essential essence of the world. This (Shabda) Sound reverberates in the heart of each person, proclaims Guru Nanak.'
"Those seekers who can experience this Sound find that it takes them to the Divine Realm. In this way of meeting God, the inner self finds true peace. Therefore, aspirants should meditate on the words of the guru and should abandon the ego -- this is the path to liberation."
-- Swami Sant Sevi Ji Maharaj, Harmony Of All Religions, from Chapter 6: Sikhism (Online in the Library Section of SpiritualAwakeningRadio.com)
"The current of Radhasoami Dayal's [the Lord of the Soul, Supreme Soul's] compassion is ever-flowing, but its effect will not be perceptible unless the current of the devotee's spirit and mind touches it or mingles with it. This will only be possible when the mind and the spirit get engaged in Abhyas [meditation practice, spiritual exercises] with Virah and Prem [love, and yearning to meet the Beloved]." (Huzur Maharaj)
"Begin meditation with internally chanting or repeating the Guru-mantra-incantation. 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, by making the two streams of consciousness in your two eyes converge in a Point.
"When the two currents of consciousness meet in a Point, Divine Light appears within. Then, practice Surat Shabd Yoga (Yoga of Divine Sound) i.e., try to shift your attention to listening to the Divine Sounds or myriads of melodies (Anahad Naad) ringing inside. Listening to the Divine Sound destroys all the perversions, agitations and fickleness of the mind.
"Ascending beyond or transcending myriads of sounds, try to identify and tune in to the Quintessential Unstruck Melody, called 'Saar Shabd' or 'Anaahat Naad' which alone is capable of taking you and merging you into oneness with the Supreme Lord; this is the ultimate deliverance, emancipation or liberation." (Couplets of Swami Sant Sevi Ji Maharaj on Meditation Practice)
Sweet Melodies Which Attract the Soul, By Shri Shivbrat Lal
"The human body is a kin to a radio broadcasting station (transmitting point). It transmits into the ethers subtle and mental waves of what the mind thinks. Mental thought-forces and spiritual currents go out in the atmosphere according to the disposition of one's mental and spiritual make up. The human body system is also a radio receiver. A powerful broadcasting station is more effective. Likewise, the receiving set has to be tuned to listen to such broadcasts. The mind can be made receptive to the Guru's solace-giving thought and spiritual Currents. This can be achieved by the quality of attention. One's attention is the number one tool which can do and undo things. The magnetic force of the Guru's holy touch is the guiding principle. If the initiate fixes their attention properly, there is no question of failure in meditation.
"Various sorts of Sound Currents reverberate in the human system from which the initiate has to pick up the right one and listen to it, otherwise he will go astray and lose his equipoise. The practical Guru forewarns his disciple and directs which Sound to listen to and which one to discard. A variety of Sound Currents are of a lower order which have to be rejected. The experienced practitioner [of Surat Shabd Yoga] knows that some of these low order Sound Currents can become audible. Therefore the initiate his to be very careful and avoid then in entirety. If not, they are bound to create a sort of roadblock in the ascension process.
"As aspirant must first get the know-how, this is what initiation means and implies. It is fruitless to make an effort independently. It is bound to fail. Unless one gets the name and address of a person's house in a large city, he cannot find the residence he wants to go to. The same law operates in the pursuit of Satsang. The Guru there is the living divine guide in the person of a living Master. One needs help from such a living source to acquaint himself and then start practice. The discourses of the Master are very instructive. The very presence of the Guru is a suggestive and corrective phenomena. The atmosphere is serene, calm and peaceful. The spiritual Current of the Guru plays its own role. All this produces a sobering and purifying effect on the mind. The law of association with the Guru works wonders. So let him be the guiding light of life. In this way alone would the initiate cast away ignorance and dispel all obscurities and failings. The devotee receives the required knowledge. Then he needs to commence his spiritual journey internally. No doubt the devotee gains knowledge, receives Naam Dan (initiation) and gets happily engaged in his practice.
"The devotee in his spiritual journey upwards hears sweet Melodies which attract him. The Melodies are a powerful magnetic force which draws the attention inwards and makes it fully attuned to proceed up and up. We hear external instrumental music like the sitar, sarangi, violin, harmonium, fiddle, flute and veena. We become attracted by them and almost acquire a semi-rapturous condition. One can well imagine how charming the Dhun-Atmic Shabda (internal Music) emanating from both subtle and causal regions can be. It is a thousand times more enchanting and absorbing! All one needs is to get the know-how of this simple method of the Saints. A Sufi of note has described this condition thus:
'If I were to reveal
a little of the Heavenly Music
that is heard within,
even the dead
will rise from their graves.'"
(from the Radhasoami book, "Dayal Yoga")
Huzur Baba Sawan Singh: "When you sit [in meditation]... see that the mind is at rest and does not go out and unnecessarily think about other things. When, by Repetition of the Names [Simran] with attention fixed in the eye focus, you have become unconscious of the body below the eyes, then your attention will catch the Sound Current. Select the Sound resembling the church bell and discard all other sounds. Then slowly your soul will leave the body and collect in the eyes and become strong. Then fix your attention in the biggest star, so much that you forget everything else except the Sound and the star. Then this star will burst and you will see what is within and beyond. After crossing the star you will have to cross the sun and the moon [inner manifestations of light]. Then you will see the Form of the Master. When that Form becomes steady it will reply. This Form will reply to all of your enquiries and guide you to higher stages... These stars are of the first sky only, and Hindu philosophers will have spoken of seven skies [in universes of elevating degrees]... After crossing the star, the sun and the moon you will see that Form which will never leave you, not even for a moment." (Enchanted Land)
"Sar Shabda (the Essential Divine Sound) beckons a return to the Supreme Sovereign [Supreme Soul]. The progression of Sound in all centers of the Realms is upward, carrying one's consciousness from the lower centers to the higher centers, ultimately reaching the Supreme Sovereign God." (Maharshi Mehi, Philosophy of Liberation)
"As long as the soul remains in the body, 0 brother, practice the Path of Shabda." (Anurag Sagar/Ocean of Love)
"Surat [the Soul] is an ansh (particle, emanation) of the Supreme Being, as the sun and its rays." (Huzur Maharaj, "Guru Updesh")
"The Light of one soul is equal to that of sixteen suns." (Anurag Sagar)
When Universes Collide: New Evidence of Multiverse Theory Detected
"The highly-theoretical idea of universes beyond our own has just received a nudge of evidence thanks to what appears to be bruising on the walls of our own known universe.
"Our universe, according to the theory, is in a type of bubble, which is essentially the cosmic microwave background (CMB) left behind from The Big Bang. If this is true, then there would be rare collisions with other universe bubbles that would leave a type of signature or mark behind.
"After seven years of working with the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe, Dr Hiranya Peiris and a team from The University College London have detected patterns in the CMB that may be physical evidence of the multi-universe run-ins":
