7 Teachings of Sant Mat and the Seven Spiritual Principles of Sant Mat
7 Teachings of Sant Mat
1. God is Real.
2. God is Love, the Ocean of Love and Compassion.
3. All of the world scriptures teach about the same manifestation of God as inner mystical Light and Sound.
4. Our true identity is soul, the Self. Soul is part of God and therefore is, like God, pure love.
5. During this human existence we have an opportunity to experience God.
6. As we experience communing with God's love during meditation -- Surat Shabd Yoga -- we can rise above body-consciousness and explore Inner Space, the "Kingdom of the Heavens" that are within us. "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 [Anami, Radhaswami, Anadi Purush, Ram]." (Swami Santsevi Ji Maharaj) The drop merges back into the Ocean of Love.
7. As we get initiated into the Mysteries of the Spirit by a Living Teacher (Master, Sant Satguru), the purpose of our life is fulfilled. Reuniting with God is our reason to be here: "It was for the sake of the God-conscious beings that our True Lord created this earth, and began this play of death and birth". ("Adi Granth") Guru Kabir says: "For millions of years you have slept. This morning, will you not wake?".
Seven Spiritual Principles of Sant Mat
The Following Principles Below are Recited Daily by Some in India:
1. Ultimate Reality is beyond any beginning or end, infinite, beyond birth, beyond the senses, all-pervading yet even beyond pervasiveness. It must, therefore, be understood as the Supreme Being. This Essential Element is known in Santmat [the Teachings of the Saints] as the Lord of All and is the foundation of all things. This Being is beyond both the inanimate and animate aspects of nature. It is without qualities and beyond qualities. Its nature is infinite, imperishable, all-powerful. It is beyond time and space, beyond sound and beyond form (Nirguna). It is the One without a second. The Supreme Being is beyond the scope of the mind, the intellect and the senses. This entire universe is powered by the energy of this Being. This Being is not human. It is not manifested in physical form. It has existence beyond the illusion of maya [illusion], and there is nothing that exists outside of it. It is the Being which is eternal and is in existence from the beginning. Santmat considers this Being to be the Divine Reality, and this [knowing or merging with] this Being is the goal of all spirituality.
2. The individual soul is an inseparable part of the Supreme Being.
3. The physical world of nature was created. It has an origin and an end.
4. The individual soul (jiva), bound by illusion (maya), remains in the cycle of death and birth. This is the cause of one’s suffering. In order to escape from this cycle of death and birth we must experience realization of this Supreme Being.
5. By practicing devotion through these four techniques: Manas Japa (Simran, recitation of a divine name or names), Manas Dhyana (Dhyan, focus on the divine form), Dristi Sadhana (Yoga of Inner Light, Inner Seeing, Inner Light Meditation, focus on the Infinitesimal Point), and Nadanusandhana Yoga (Surat Shabd Yoga, concentration on the inner divine Sounds) — the practitioner consecutively transcends the realms of darkness, Light, and Sound which cloak the Supreme Truth — the Divine Reality. Only in a human body an individual soul is able to achieve unity with the Divine. [In other forms of existence, animal, etc…, it is not possible to tread the spiritual path.]
6. Lying, stealing, intake of intoxicating substances, adultery, and violence (including harming other beings) are the five sins to be avoided. Eating meat or fish is also considered to be a form of violence and should be avoided. The aspirants of Santmat must abstain from these vices.*
(* Note: In Buddhism and other Eastern Religions (Jainism, Taoism, Hinduism) these five abstinences are known as the Panch Shila — “The Five Precepts”.)
7. The following are considered to be the requirements for the attainment liberation: (A) Trust and belief in God; (B) Commitment to seek the Divine within; (C) Devotion and service to a Satguru — spiritual Master; (D) Satsang, listening to the teaching and spiritual discourse including study of the Teaching of the Saints and the scriptures; and (E) Dhyana, diligent meditation practice. (“Padavali of Maharshi Mehi”, also quoted in, “Harmony Of All Religions”)
See, Introductory Meditation Instructions, Meditation For Beginners: An Introduction to Sant Mat Meditation -- Spiritual Awakening Radio Podcast @ Youtube: https://youtu.be/LPLj68bSquc
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