The Usage of the Term "Sant Mat" -- Light and Sound on the Path -- Newsletter of Spiritual Quotes & Sant Mat Satsang Discourses
Welcome to this September 7th, 2015 Sant Mat Spirituality and Meditation Satsang Newsletter (Blog, Digest, Document, E-Booklet,) of much poetry and prose -- a word-count of over five thousand words from various spiritual Masters. Enjoy all of the readings below. May they provide you with some helpful satsang reading material wherever you are in the world, near or far, and lead to a further exploration of the teachings of the Masters, including from lesser-known or newly translated material you may not have encountered before in English.
Jai Sat Naam, Jai Guru, Radhasoami, Satya-Raam, James Bean, Editor: Light and Sound on the Path, Sant Mat Fellowship, Tulsi Sahib Satsang, Sant Mat Satsang Society, Sant Mat Radhasoami Blog
This Sant Mat Radhasoami E-Newsletter is dedicated to the Path of the Masters (Sant Satgurus of the Past, the Living Present, and Future), and to the Supreme Being, the Lord of the Soul Who is the Ocean of Love and All-Consciousness, and explores the poetry, prose, spiritual discourses, books, scriptures, letters, prayers, ahimsa ethics, audio, videos, philosophy, cosmology, gnosticism, meditation, mysticism, and history of the Masters from a traditional Indian perspective that's non-sectarian, and might also include quotes from various world religions in harmony with the Way of the Saints, the Path of the Masters and Mystics.
NOTE: This newsletter is for educational purposes only. Fair Use of Quotations: "Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for fair use for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research..."
NOTE: This newsletter is supportive of, The Murar Declaration -- the universal principles of peace, affection, harmony and cooperation as outlined at the Sant Mat conclave known as Spircon 2010, a historic event held in Agra.
"What's the use of receiving this human form if we do not serve others in thought, word, and deed. If we hold our thoughts only on worldly material things and refuse to think of that which is higher and more subtle, then our faith in the Transcendental will inevitably diminish." ("Quintessence of Yoga: Secret of All Success", a Sant Mat publication from Maharshi Mehi Ashram, Kuppaghat, Bhagalpur, Bihar, India)
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Date and Title
9/29/2015 (Upcoming) Padavali Satsang Series -- Hymns, Readings, Commentary, PT3
9/22/2015 (Upcoming) Padavali Satsang Series -- Hymns, Readings, Commentary, PT2
9/15/2015 (Upcoming) Padavali Satsang Series -- Hymns, Readings, Commentary, PT1
9/8/2015 (Upcoming) 3 Central Teachings of the Sikh Scriptures
9/1/2015 Introduction to the Sikh Scriptures of India
8/25/2015 Be Truly Human
8/18/2015 Sant Mat Spirituality and Meditation
8/11/2015 Figuring Things Out in a Land of Illusion
8/4/2015 The Light-Givers of India
7/28/2015 The Sant Tradition of India, Part 3
7/21/2015 The Sant Tradition of India, Part 2
7/14/2015 The Sant Tradition of India, Part 1
6/30/2015 Love, Light and Sound on the Path
6/23/2015 Purity of Mind
6/16/2015 A Spiritual Seekers Guide
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Samadhi (meditation) and Samadh (tomb) -- the difference one letter ("i") can make! "Samadhi" is a term used in Eastern spirituality for being deeply absorbed in meditation: the 8th element of the Noble Eightfold Path (Right Concentration), and the Eighth of the Eight Limbs of Yoga (bliss of union with God). Take away the "i" and you have the word "Samadh", meaning, the tomb of a saint or holy person. The JPG IMAGE above is the holy Samadh of Sant Devi Sahab at the Sant Mat Satsang Ashram, Moradabad, India. Baba Devi Sahab was one of several great Sant devotees of Parm Sant Tulsi Sahib of Hathras, along with Surswami, Ramkrishna, Girdhari Sahab, and Shiv Dayal Singh Seth (Sant Radhasoami Saheb). Baba Devi Sahab was also close friends with Huzur Maharaj Rai Saligram.
"Purify your eyes, and see the pure world. Your life will fill with Radiant Forms." -- Rumi
"So long as a person does not perform karmas [actions] in accordance with the guidance of the Saints, his mind cannot become cleansed or uncontaminated. And so long as he does not contemplate on Satguru and Shabd, his attention (chitt) shall not become unflinching. When he has attained to these two grades (i.e. purification of mind and perfect concentration on Satguru and Shabd) then alone he will become entitled to receive (true) jnan (knowledge [gnosis, gyan, direct experience]). As this pure knowledge dawns, all screens (veiling reality) will be lifted." -- Studies in the Sar Bachan Prose, from Book Two, Sayings of Soami Ji Maharaj (the M.G. Gupta translation of Sar Bachan Prose: “The Quintessential Discourse Radhasoami, Sar Bachan Prose”, M.G. Publishers, Agra)
"Listen to the instructions of the Sat Guru, for they will endure. Says Nanak, 'O my beloved mind, forever cherish the Truth.'" (Adi Granth -- Peace Lagoon, Sacred Songs of the Sikhs, The Collected Hymns of Guru Nanak, Guru Amar Das, Guru Ram Das, Guru Arjun, and Guru Gobind Singh)
"One who gives an ear to words of truth and justice, and ponders over them, it is only to him that these words bring happiness. But one, who accepts a word without going into the depth of its meaning, does not benefit from it in any manner." (Saakhi Granth of Guru Kabir)
"Sant Mat is not the Path of information, but this is the Path of Transformation." (Swami Sant Sevi Ji Maharaj)
"Before we go and transform the world, let us transform ourselves. Let us reform ourselves." (Swami Satchidananda)
"Wanted -- reformers, not of others, but of themselves". (Swami Ramananda Tirthaji)
"The reason that they attend Satsang is a fervent desire for meeting God and for the welfare of their soul." (Huzur Maharaj Rai Saligram Bahadur)
"God's blissful nectar flows naturally, but the one alone whose mind is turned God-wards, receives it." (Guru Granth, Sri Guru Granth Sahib, Volume One, Gopal Singh translation)
"Work in the invisible world at least as hard as you do in the visible." -- Rumi
"Drawing upon the Lord's resources within,
Security, wisdom, and love-in-action,
We conquer every enemy within
To be united with the Lord of Love...
Seek it through meditation.
Meditation is God..."
(Taittiriya Upanishad)
Meditation is the portal to the realm within and allows us to know ourselves, our original nature. (Agochar)
Freedom From Fear Through Meditation -- Mystic Verse of Tulsi Sahib of Hathras: "Whosoever has concentrated their soul [via meditation] has been redeemed from the fear of death. She has ascended the firmament with force, and has found refuge at the feet of the Lord. She has taken abode in the Infinite Region and has attained union with the Beloved. Indeed, 0 Tulsi, she has been delivered from the delusion, suffering and fever of countless lives." (Book of Shabdavali)
When Satguru Baba Devi Sahib was nearing the time of his departure from this ephemeral world for his true destination, satsangis humbly requested him to bless them with his parting words. Responding, Baba Devi Sahab obliged by saying, "Duniyaa waham hai, abhyaas karo", meaning: "This world is an illusion. Practice meditation." (From the Preface to the book about Sant Tulsi Sahib of Hathras called, "Baal Kaa Aadi Aur Uttar Kaa Ant")
On the Usage of the Term "Sant Mat" and the Sant Tulsi Sahib Connection, by James Bean
Very much like "Buddhism" or "Sufism" are terms used by many to refer to any number of organizations or spiritual paths, "Sant Mat" is a fairly widely used general term for a certain kind of Eastern spirituality, gnosticism or mysticism. Even as there are hundreds of Sufi Orders and diverse forms of Hinduism, there are millions of people and satsangs, thousands of ashrams, and scores of teachers or organizations in, and outside of, India that describe themselves with the label "Sant Mat".
"Sant Mat" means: "The Teachings ('Mat') of the Saints or Sages" or "Path of the Masters". In India it's common knowledge that the term "Sant Mat" was coined or adapted by Param Sant Tulsi Sahib of Hathras during the 19th Century. "Sant Mat" was adopted and popularized by Tulsi Sahib as a new name for this spiritual path or genre of mysticism, but the Sant tradition, with its many guru-lineages or branches, is a spiritual movement that dates back many centuries to ancient India.
Sants or Saints of Antiquity Long Before the Time of Kabir
It's unknown who the first Sant was in ancient times. There are references in Krishna/Vaishnava texts to Sants. A few of the Rishi Sages who authored certain Upanishads pertaining to the Formless God, Inner Light and Sound Meditation (some dating back many centuries B.C.E.) also seem to be at the same level as Sants. In somewhat more recent times, in some circles Gorakhnath, a 10th century nath yogi, is considered to be a Sant. Gorakhnath did teach Surat Shabd Yoga. Otherwise, the first Masters formally called Sants that are usually mentioned are the 12th-century poet Jayadeva, author of the Gita Govinda, and, Visoba Khechar, who was Sant Namdev's spiritual Master (Sant Satguru).
Sant Tulsi Sahib of Hathras 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 and Upanishads.
Sants Mentioned in a Hindu Scripture Called the Bhagavad Purana
"Such individuals who have achieved the unity of atman (soul) and Param-atman (Supreme Soul, God) are known as Sants. According to the Bhagavad Purana there is no one greater than a Sant in the eyes of the Divine. Lord Krishna says to his disciple Uddhava Ji: 'All devotees like you are very dear to me. They are dearer to me than Lord Brahma, Lord Shankara, my brother Bal Ram, Goddess Lakshmi and even my own soul. Therefore, I walk behind these Sants hoping that the dust arising from their holy feet would touch my body and purify me.'" (Hindu scripture quoted by Swami Vyasanand in, The Inward Journey of the Soul)
"Lord Kuber's sons Nalkubera and Manigreeva told Lord Krishna: 'Oh God, Sants are your manifest forms and my eyes should always behold their Divine darshan [vision].'" (Hindu scripture Bhagavad Purana quoted by Swami Vyasanand in, The Inward Journey of the Soul)
"There is no end to the number of Sants who appeared in the Yugas [Epochs] of Sat, Treta, Dvapar, and Kali [Yuga]. I sing of the celebrated one I have heard of, and bow my head to all the others.” (Jan Gopal, disciple of Sant Dadu Dayal of Rajasthan)
Commonly used words like "Sant", "Sat", and "Mat", with their roots in Sanskrit, are found in the literature of many spiritual paths originating in India. "Santmat", as a single word referring to the efficacy of following the teachings of Sants does turn up on a couple of occasions in Sant literature during the centuries prior to the time of Tulsi Sahib. It is present in a few verses of Kabir, and is in at least one verse of a poem of Sant Tulsi Das. Clearly however, "Sant Mat" or "Santmat" as the universal name or label for this school of spirituality or Sant tradition begins with Tulsi Sahib during the 19th Century in Hathras, and now has been embraced by millions of souls and scores of spiritual paths based in India.
"The teachings of all Saints are essentially the same. They speak of the 'Kingdom of Heaven' which is within. They show the path and impart instructions to attain it. They do not claim to teach something new or different from what other Saints have taught. Tulsi Sahab declared that he was giving the same teachings as those of Kabir Sahab, Nanak Sahab, Dadu Sahab and other Saints. Tulsi Sahab, for the first time, used the expression 'Sant Mat' or 'the teachings of Saints' to stress the basic unity of the teachings of all Saints." (From the entry for Sant Tulsi Sahib in, RadhaSoami White Paper on the Religion of Sants and RadhaSoami Faith, published by Dayal Bagh in Agra)
"While the title of Sant Mat (translated as 'Teachings of the Sants') was not coined until the late 19th century by Tulsi Sahib, the philosophical mindset was indeed prevalent for many centuries." (Andrea Diem Lane, Ph.D., "Lions in the Punjab: An Introduction to the Sikh Religion", from Chapter One, The Sikh--Sant Connection)
Param Tulsi Sahib of Hathras originated the term "Sant Mat" as recorded in the Ghat Ramayan also according to the scholar Parashuram Chaturvedi in his book "Sant Parampara". (See footnote 23, in the chapter titled, "The Radhasoami Revival", by Mark Juergensmeyer, on page 337 in, "The Sants, Studies in a Devotional Tradition of India", Edited by Karine Schomer and W.H. McLeod, Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi, 1987, page 783)
"One thing that all factions agree upon, though, is that Tulsi Sahib consolidated the teachings of nirguna bhakti, expounded the path of surat shabd yoga, and was largely responsible for the popular usage of the term Sant mat. His teachings are embodied in Ghat Ramayana, Ratan Sagar, and Shabdavali." (David C. Lane, "The Radhasoami Tradition, A Critical History of Guru Successorship", Garland Publishing, 1992 edition, page 39)
"Tulsi Sahib, for the first time, used the expression 'Sant Mat' or 'teachings of Saints' to stress the basic unity of the teachings of all Saints. Swami Ji later adopted the same expression, 'Sant Mat', in his works." (Janak Raj Puri and V. K. Sethi, "Tulsi Sahib, Saint of Hathras", 1981 edition, Mystics of the East Series, Radha Soami Satsang Beas, Book Department, page 18)
"For all the religious traditions of India, the nineteenth century was an age of rationalistic reform, during which the attempt was made to systematize beliefs and make practices consistent with doctrines. Tulsi Sahib of Hathras (ca 1760 - 1843) was at once heir to certain esoteric tendencies in later Sant tradition and a precursor of the new spirit. Stressing the unity of the Sants as a parampara, he taught what he believed to be the common core of doctrines implicit in all the Sants ('sant mat'), and tried to reverse the spread of saguna beliefs and practices among the followers of nirguna panths. Heavily indebted to him was Shiv Dayal Singh (1818 - 1878), founder of the modern Radhasoami movement." (Karine Schomer, "The Sants", Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi, page 7)
"Tulsi Sahib, a Sant of Hathras from the nineteenth century, recognized that Sants drew upon the teachings of other Sant figures as spiritual resources. Pointing out the common spiritual roots, he identified this movement as a coherent religious tradition, which he called 'Sant Mat', simply meaning a 'Sant faith'." (Dr. Andrea Diem, "The Gnostic Mystery, a Connection Between Ancient and Modern Mysticism", Mount San Antonio College Press, Walnut, CA, 1992 edition, page, 29)
"The principles and tenets of Sant Mat are one and the same, only there is a difference in terminology. Since the same principles have been stated using different names, you become confused and do not understand them. Sat Saheb, that is, Sat Purush, has been described as Sat Nam. And Sar Shabd (True Shabd) has been called A-Nam. The name Nirgun has been given to Niranjan and it is the mind which has been called Ram. What Kabir had said, has been said by other Sants, too. Kabir explained Sant Mat in his own way, other Sants in other ways. The religion of all those who have gained access within is one and the same. Those who lack true understanding, adhere to dogmas and blind beliefs. Those who have spoken on the basis of inner experiences, have sung of the same Panth or path for reaching the Lord."(Sant Tulsi Sahib of Hathras, Book of Ghat Ramayan)
"Listen, O Phool Das, I have given out the same true secrets which Sants like Kabir Saheb, Dadu Saheb, Rai Das Ji, Darya Saheb, Guru Nanak, Soor Das Ji, Nabha Ji and Mira Bai have spoken of. They, too, have composed similar hymns describing the bliss of the highest spiritual region, whose glory I also have sung, blessed by the grace and the dust of the holy feet of Sants". (Sant Tulsi Sahib of Hathras, Ghat Ramayan)
"My Radhasoami [Lord of the Soul] is a profound Ocean of Serenity which none can fathom." (Soami Ji Maharaj, Sar Bachan Poetry, Volume I)
"The purpose of living beings is to assist each other." (Jain Scripture: Tattvarth-Sutra, Chapter 5, Sutra 21
Someone connected with a college where Master was speaking asked Him, "How many disciples do you have?" Master said, "I have no disciples. Only God has disciples. These people are my friends. I love them and they love me." (Kirpal Singh)
"Let us think of ourselves again and again as radiant beings full of light, radiating love to all." (Dada J. P. Vaswani)
Return to the Soundless State Beyond the Realms of Light and Sound -- The Importance of Sant Mat Spirituality and Meditation, by Swami Santsevi Ji Maharaj
People everywhere in the world desire happiness, and none want suffering or pain. Of all living beings, human life is the most advanced. Humans not only desire happiness, they also make many kinds of efforts to achieve peace and happiness on the basis of their knowledge. But the result is apparent: in the effort to find satisfaction people only find unhappiness; in an effort to find peace, even more anxiety often results. It is difficult to find a person in this world who does not have concerns and worries. It is equally difficult to find one who has found peace and happiness and is free of suffering. Each human being is in the grip of physical, mental, or natural suffering. Even those who are wealthy, strong, gifted, beautiful, and bountiful, seem to be unhappy, and have to experience some form of suffering in their lives.
What is the cause of this unhappiness? Unless we are able to know the cause of a sickness, it will be impossible to find a cure for it.
Sant Kabir Sahab asks: "You have lost an object in one place and you are looking for it in an entirely different place. How could you possibly find it?"
Let us consider this dilemma in view of the way people usually attempt to find peace, joy and contentment. People wander ceaselessly through life, always seeking to acquire material resources, thinking they will thus achieve their goal of happiness. However, as the saints tell us, even if we acquire all these physical possessions -- status, fame, or wealth -- we are still unable to attain true peace, joy and happiness. The peace we seek is not found in the outer material world but only in the inner world of the soul. The outer manifest world is merely sensory. It is transitory and ever fleeting. But within us lives the Supreme Being whose true form is peace and bliss. The Divine is unmanifest (without physical form), eternal, and beyond the senses. Only by turning inward and ceasing the outward wandering, will we be able to attain lasting joy and eternal peace.
We can understand this through an analogy: If we throw a rock towards the sky, we find that the rock must return to the earth. And, even though the rock is flying and tumbling through the air as though it is part of the air, it will, nevertheless, soon return to the earth, since it is part of the earth. It is as though the rock, which is a part of the earth, strains to come back to earth, and finds stillness in reuniting with the earth. In the same way, we can think of the human soul, as it wanders through multiple life forms: the Hindu scriptures speak of 84 hundred thousand life forms.1 [1. The various religions of India shed light on the cycle of death and rebirth.] The soul will experience suffering in the cycle of death and rebirth (samsara) -- reincarnation after reincarnation -- until it merges into the Supreme Soul (Divine), which is inseparable from the soul. The Divine exists in the Soundless State, but the living soul has descended into this realm of darkness.
Maharishi Mehi Paramhans advises to begin the journey: "You have descended into this darkness from the Soundless State. You are now far from your home in the Soundless Divine. You are caught here in this dark realm. Therefore, at this very moment, begin your journey homeward toward that Soundless State."
Through inner meditation the jivatman (individual soul) begins its ascent toward the Soundless State where it will eventually merge with the Divine. When the soul thus experiences oneness with the Divine, it will attain ultimate peace and supreme joy. Santmat teaches a path to the attainment of this joy and peace. This is the significance of the way of saints and the importance of Sant Mat.
Meditating in a darkened room, at night or early morning when it's quiet, makes it easier to see the inner Light and hear the inner Sound. Soami Ji's Special Room, A Mystical Meditation Room-Within-A-Room: "From childhood Soami Ji Maharaj used to shut himself up in a small room which is at the back of another room on the ground floor of his house. For light and air there is a small aperture, otherwise no noise can reach within. This room still exists in a renovated form and is considered as one of the most sacred and hallowed of places." (Biography/Jivan Charitar of Babuji Maharaj)
Baba Jaimal Singh: Listen to the Sound Current During Meditation Every Day
While in meditation,
do not think
about worldly problems.
Then the mind will become still.
Argue with the mind thus:
'When you are asleep
you forget all activities
of the world.
What do you lose at that time?
If it does not effect
you adversely then,
why do you indulge
in worldly thoughts now?
If you do not recall affairs
of the world during meditation,
will anything go amiss?'
Be firm and bring the mind
round with determination.
Listen to the Sound Current every day
when you are free, and do Simran even
while walking. Then all your worldly
work will by done by the Master Himself.
Do not worry in any way.
The Lord Himself has given you this Way
to meet Him, so you should consider this
your great good fortune and you should
always hold onto the Sound Current. One day
it will surely take you to Sach Khand.
Paramahansa Yogananda on the Inner Sound: "Listen to the cosmic Sound of AUM, a great Hum of countless atoms, in the sensitive right side of your head. This is the Voice of God. Feel the Sound spreading through the brain....You are moving with it, into the airless ether, and into millions of universes... Meditate on the marching spread of the cosmic Sound..." (Metaphysical Meditations)
"Music casts a direct influence on body, organs and the soul; diseases of body, organs and soul get cured by this (music). This is the explicit impact of sound which is concerned with the external use of ears.
"The other Music or Sound is internal and the way to listen to that is by focusing our attention on the internal 'Shabda' or Sound which is ringing within each one of us [Surat Shabda Meditation]. Sound (internal Sound) is a highly precious wealth in the life of every human being. So long as this Sound is present in a man he is alive; as soon as the Sound exits, it is the end of him." (Baba Devi Sahab)
"Upon merging the mind with the Sound, there remains only the consciousness, free of the association with the mind. The consciousness free of the mind will be drawn to the flow of sounds, ultimately merging in Soundlessness or the Supreme Sovereign God. The internal practice of meditation ends here: the Supreme God is realized and the work is completed." (Maharshi Mehi, Philosophy of Liberation)
"The serpent chitta [mind] through listening the Nada [inner Sound] is entirely absorbed in it, and becoming unconscious of everything, concentrates itself on the Sound." (Nada Bindu Upanishad)
"The Music of the Shabd is distant and unsteady when first heard, but as it deepens, it lifts the listeners into a hitherto unknown peace.... The Sound of the Shabd is like a constant theme with variations on all levels [planes or heavens]. These variations are described as the rushing of a mighty wind, the sound of a lute, the deep resonance of a bell or conch, or the tinkling of glass in the wind. There are also wonderful lights and radiance to accompany the sounds... The sounds and lights progress in a definite order, corresponding to each stage of the journey inwards, and they clearly indicate the disciple’s progress.". (Peter Fripp, The Mystic Philosophy of Sant Mat)
"....Consciousness can be released from the mortal frame by attaching itself to the Stream of Celestial Music radiating from the top of the head and beyond. To do this..., one first must be initiated by a genuine mystic who has gained access to the higher realms.... Keeping the back erect and the mind alert, one continuously repeats God’s name as given by his/her guru. This simran [mental repetition of a Name of God], as Mataji termed it, should be done with one’s attention centered behind closed eyes. Coupled with this physical stillness and ceaseless repetition of God’s Name [step one in meditation], the next step is to contemplate the Light within. At first, Mataji pointed out, there will be only darkness but eventually Light will appear in the form of either small flashes or small star-like points. In any case, one should focus on the radiance, keeping one’s simran [repeating God’s Name or Names in meditation] intact and allowing the Light to draw the soul inward. The third and most important step, Mataji said, is to listen to the Sound that issues forth from the Light. It is this Internal Music which will numb the body and allow the consciousness to leave its ordinary dwelling. By riding this Current of Light and Sound, like a fish going upstream,the soul will be able to go back to its original Home. On the journey within, however, the soul must be guided by a True Master so as not to be detained in any of the lower illusory regions. According to Mataji, what near-death patients experience is only the beginning of a vast sojourn into great universes of Light, Love and Beauty." (Enchanted Land, edited by David Lane, MSAC Philosophy Group)
"In the Beginning was the Word, the Logos, the Tao, the Shabda, the Nada, the Saut-e Sarmad...."
The Divine Logos ... is the helmsman and governor of the universe... The everlasting Logos of the eternal God is the very sure and staunch prop of the Whole … But the shadow of God is his Word [Logos], which he used like an instrument when he was making the world. And this shadow, and, as it were, model, is the archetype of other things.” (Philo of Alexandria)
"Heaven is ever making Music, producing in accordance with its celestial motions the Perfect Harmony… To such strains, it is said, Moses was listening, when, having become disembodied, for forty days and as many nights he touched neither bread nor water at all." (Philo of Alexandria, The Music of the Spheres)
"What else is Christ but the Sound of God." (Acts of John)
"I will come to you in the silence." (Acts of Thomas)
"Yeshua said, 'Whoever drinks from my mouth will become like me. I myself shall become that person, and the Hidden Things will be revealed to that one.'" (Saying 108, Gospel of Thomas)
"In the Divine Sound of God (Bhagawan) all the mysteries are revealed." (Swami Jnananada, Pandita Puja, Jainism)
"I am the silence that is incomprehensible.
I am the Voice whose Sound is manifold
and the Word whose appearance is multiple...
I am the hearing which can be attained by everyone."
(Thunder: Perfect Mind, Nag Hammadi Library of Egypt)
This passage from the Acts of Peter, an apocryphal text with Gnostic leanings, provides a great description of meditation practice: "Give ear; withdraw your souls from all that appears but is not truly real; close these eyes if yours, close your ears, withdraw from actions that are outwardly seen; and you shall know the reality of Christ and the whole secret of your salvation."
Some have even described this form of meditation as "a conscious near-death experience," that is to say, the Holy Stream of Sound can transport souls to higher states of being that may for some resemble NDE's or OOBE's (out of body experiences, soul travel). This is not a 'do-it-yourself spirituality' in the sense that one needs the guidance of a competent living Master in order to practice the meditation correctly in a healthy and balanced way. One should never attempt to climb the Himalayas without a Sherpa guide; in the same way one should not attempt meditation to this degree without the sound wisdom and spiritual direction of a living Guide. In the Shabd Yoga tradition of India the methods of practice are communicated at the time of Initiation by a Master. This is freely given -- no money or organization membership fees are involved. A Living Teacher, being fully acquainted with the 'landscape' of inner space, is able to impart to initiates valuable guidance on how to safely make the journey of ascension to the spiritual worlds during meditation practice inside. The complete details of Shabd meditation practice are not found in books and are not for sale, but are given freely to seekers by a living Master at the time of Initiation. (Editor)
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The name "Singh" means "Lion".
