Love Your Practice -- Close Your Eyes And See -- Light and Sound on the Path
"Sant Mat" means: "The Way of the Saints" or "Path of the Masters". The term "Sant Mat" was coined by Param Sant Tulsi Sahib of Hathras, during the 19th Century, but the Sant tradition, with its many guru-lineages or branches, is a spiritual movement that dates back many centuries to ancient India. Sant Tulsi Sahib was of the opinion that the Sant movement goes back to the time of Krishna thousands of years ago, that Krishna knew of Sants during his day, the age of the Bhagavad Gita.
"Well I think the Good Book is missing some pages." -- Tori Amos
See the Article, Lost Books of the Bible, on Other Mystical Scriptures of the West (Gnostic Gospels, Dead Sea Scrolls):
"People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don’t even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child – our own two eyes. All is a miracle." (Thich Nhat Hanh)
Brain Cell, and, The Universe: Macrocosm Inside the Microcosm -- As Above, So Below. One is only micrometers wide. The other is billions of light years across. One shows neurons in a mouse brain. The other is a simulated image of the universe. Together they suggest the surprisingly similar patterns found in vastly different phenomena. This is a much larger image and the written information is easier to read: http://sprott.physics.wisc.edu/pickover/pc/brain-universe.html
"If the doors of perception were cleansed, every thing would appear to man as it is -- infinite." (William Blake)
"The word 'Consciousness' means conscious and aware. As per the Hindi dictionary, four different meanings of the word 'Consciousness' are: intelligence, tendency of the mind, awareness, and memory. It is clear that the word 'conscious' is used to denote intelligence, tendency related to knowledge, tendency related to memory, and awareness. Consciousness is that element in human beings which differentiates them from other inanimate objects. Consciousness basically refers to that power which helps one in understanding and evaluating one's surroundings and environment. By the terms 'Spiritual Consciousness' is meant the relationship between individual Spirit and God. The human body is endowed with the divine spark in the form of spirit. The aim of human life is to recognize that divine element present within and reach the heavenly abode." (Abstract of a Paper by Prem Kali Sharma, Professor Emeritus, Del, Agra, International Seminar on Religion of Saints -- Spircon 2010)
Within this body
shines the entire Universe,
so the saints say.
-- Param Sant Tulsi Sahab of Hathras
Rumi: "All is known in the sacredness of silence."
"Whatever little is possible, do meditation everyday. But never ever give up or discontinue meditation. You will definitely meet with success." (Swami Sant Sevi Ji Maharaj)
"The practitioners of Sant Mat should perform meditation daily with yearning, zeal and regularity." (Huzur Maharaj)
"Those who enshrine the Beloved in their hearts have both worlds at their command. Lovers remain completely intoxicated in the ecstasy of their love for the Beloved. They offer their souls to the Beloved while still living, and thus immortalize themselves in this life and in the hereafter." (Hazrat Sultan Bahu, Sufi Master)
Make Friends with the Sound (Surat Shabd Meditation): "O surat [soul], the darling of Sant Satguru! Turn around and prick up your ears to the resounding reverberations of the Unstruck Melody. Your stay in this phenomenal world is short-lived (literally four days [the four stages of life, namely, Brahmacharya, Grihastha, Vanaprastha, and finally Sanyasa]); why do you take on such a heavy load (of karmas, bhramas, attachments, greed, lust, anger, ego, hostilities, enmities, hated, revengefulness, jealousy and envy). The guru is repeatedly crying and calling you to come on and make friends with the Sound." (Swami Ji Maharaj, Sar Bachan Radhasoami Poetry)
It is the Primeval Sound which carries one to this Abode,
And it is the Satguru who makes it known.
Our path is through subtle regions,
There the inner sight illumines our way.
He, who carries on the practice of the true Sound,
Beholds the Truth from the beginning to the end
within his body.
By realizing the true Sound with rapt attention,
He attains the status of a pure swan.
Such a devotee reaches the Immortal Abode,
And there he sees mysterious and wondrous sights.
-- Sant Dariya Sahib
The Role of the Master/Sant Satguru In Traditional Sant Mat
"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."
(Sant Namdev)
"The Satguru-given Gnosis [direct experience] is lit up in the heart, with whose Light is dispelled the darkness of spiritual ignorance." (Sri Guru Granth Sahib, English and Punjabi Translation, Manmohan Singh, Volume 3)
"The personal and private instruction in the art of this spiritual practice should be received from an accomplished spiritual master. Once the technique has been learned, one should practice it regularly and daily according to the instructions given by the master." (Maharshi Mehi, Philosophy of Liberation)
"The saints and true teachers are known to be impartial; their blessings fall like the rain. However, the rain, while falling on all, tends to collect in deep pools just as the grace of the saints while showering on all flows rapidly and collects in the deep pools of the aspirants who are devoted. It is not surprising that the aspirants through their devotion draw the grace of the master towards them." (Maharshi Mehi)
"By the Guru's instruction the mind of the disciple is rendered immaculate and she keeps God clasped to her heart. She keeps God enshrined in her mind, arranges her affairs, and by the Master's instruction knows her Lord."
"By the Master's instruction the name of God is contemplated. By the guru's grace, soul and body are saturated with the Lord and the Lord's name seems sweet to the mortal. The Lord's name seems sweet to them. He liberates all their families. With their mouths they utter the Lord's name. Their comings and goings cease. They obtain bliss, and their attention remains absorbed the Home of Celestial Music." (Adi Granth)
Remember Simran. "Keep on doing your work. Keep on reciting God's name, and you will live pleasantly in the world." (Guru Kabir)
"The technique of love is truly the root of spirituality. Follow this technique as imparted by the Master. When with his grace the inner lamp is lighted, the true Naam [inner Light & Sound], the support of all, comes to sight." (Sant Dariya Sahib of Bihar)
"One may make any amount of endeavors to withdraw one's Surat [attention] and mind and to open the Third Eye, but all will be in vain without the manifestation of the Current of Grace within." (Maharaj Saheb/Brahma Shankar Misra)
Without love there can be no devotion and wisdom.
With love arisen, they can be experienced
with the Guru's grace.
With intensification of love, one comes in contact
with the True Sound,
And like a lotus in water, abides in its peace and bliss.
-- Sant Dariya Sahib of Bihar
Reverse thy gait from the court of this
world and attain thy True Home.
The drop will merge in the Ocean, and thou
thyself will know the wonder.
The lost treasure will be found and thy true
Self will be revealed.
He who has solved this riddle, O Tulsi,
is indeed a true Saint.
-- Param Sant Tulsi Sahab of Hathras
Seeing, Hearing, Exploring the Light and Sound Within You
In the beginning was the Tao.
All things issue from it;
all things return to it.
There was something formless and perfect
before the universe was born.
It is serene. Empty.
Solitary. Unchanging.
Infinite. Eternally present.
It is the mother of the universe.
For lack of a better name,
I call it the Tao.
It flows through all things,
inside and outside, and returns
to the origin of all things.
(Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu, Stephen Mitchell)
"When God came to have the playful mood ('mauj') to make this creation, a vibration was produced in the beginning along with its companion Sound. This sound itself was termed 'Adi Naam' ('adi' means the original, the first or the primeval, and 'nada' means Name, Word or Sound). This Word is present in each and every, even the minutest particle of the creation. That is why, it is also called the 'sarvavyapini dhvani' ('sarvavyapini' implies all pervading and 'dhvani' means Sound). This very Sound has been variously referred to by rishis (sages) as Om, Sfota, Udgeeth, etc... Subsequently, Sants called it Ram Naam (name of God), sat-naam or satya-naam (True Name), sar-shabda (Quintessential Sound or Word), sat-shabda (True Word) as well. This sound is perceived by the spiritual seeker in inner meditation to attain to the Supreme Sovereign God." (Swami Achyutanand Baba)
"It is essential to practice bindu dhyan, drishti-yoga or the Yoga of Inner Light before doing nada dhyan (Meditation on Inner Sound), because with continued practice of drishti yoga (Yoga of Inner Light) the ability to do nada dhyan is easily gained. The mind gets completely controlled with nada dhyan. .... In Nadavindu Upanishad it has been said about the Nada Dhyan that, 'Sidelining all worries and all efforts... one should mainly focus on the exploration of nada. By doing thus the mind gets dissolved in the nada. The mind thus absorbed in the nada does not crave anymore for the sensory objects.'" -- Swami Achyutanand Baba, "Yoga of Inner Light and Sound":
What is the Audible Life Stream and Why is it Important? Video: http://www.Youtube.com/watch?v=oj_cSvYfrJY
"The Yoga of Inner Sound or (Nada dhyan [Nada meaning sound while dhyan means meditation] is also called nadanusandhan [exploration {anusandhan} of the Sound {nada}), surat shabd yoga (Yoga or Union of the Soul [surat] with the Sound [shabd]), or shabd dhyan (Meditation on Sound). 'Nada' or 'shabd', meaning sound or word, has great attractive power." (Swami Achyutanand Baba)
"The Sound heard internally is a current which has originally emanated from the Supreme Being and is the means not only of concentrating the will but also of raising the spirit to the Source from which it emanates." (Huzur Maharaj, Radhasoami Mat Prakash)
"My Master has taught me a lesson:
it repeats itself -- without my repeating it.
When I plug my ears with my fingers,
without hearing, I hear its melodies."
--Hazrat Sultan Bahu
"One Sound that is heard leads to another Sound, which, in turn, becomes yet another Sound. Thus, getting hold of several Sounds, one after the other, one finally gets hold of the most captivating Quintessential Primordial Sound.... And, as even this Unstruck Melody is transcended, the Highest State, the Nameless or the Soundless State (Pure or True State of God) is attained." (Maharshi Mehi)
The soul in Sunn will hear resounding peals of Sound,
She will uncover and know the essence of Shabd.
They alone, O Tulsi, will know that Perfect State,
Who have seen and experienced it themselves.
-- Param Sant Tulsi Sahab of Hathras
"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", S.D. Maheshwari, Agra)
My eyes got fixed at the central Point
between the two eyebrows [third eye center],
They do not glance sideways,
and are fixed at the Point in front;
The Light of God appears within,
and darkness of the night vanishes,
The Sun, with its extraordinary rays,
ascends with so many sparkles,
Consciousness finally gets immersed
in the Quintessential Sound,
Baba Devi Sahib tells Mehi to remain
absorbed day and night
in such applications.
(Padavali of Maharshi Mehi)
"The waves or vibrations of Sound permeate the whole of the body...... It exists in the body in the form of vitality or Life-Current. It exists in the mental sky in the form of Light, while it exists as Sound in the void.... It is the highest duty of every individual to acquire experiential knowledge of this Sound and to investigate or explore the Origin or Source from where this Sound flows out." (Baba Devi Sahab)
Entering the cave of the inner sky,
See the manifestation of the boundless Sound.
By dwelling upon the Unstruck Divine Music,
the inner experience opens up.
And with the realization of the Truth,
one reaches the other shore.
This realization is beyond the experience
of the three worlds.
It is the realization of the Primeval Lord,
the very goal of our love.
-- Sant Dariya Sahib of Bihar
