Path of the Masters: Sant Mat - Santmat, Radhasoami - Radha Soami, Satsang, Inner Light and Sound Meditation: Surat Shabd Yoga, Audible Life Stream, Quan Yin Method, Spiritual Science, Spirituality, Kabir, Maharshi Mehi, Kirpal Singh, Gnosticism, Third Eye, Out Of Body Experiences, Near-Death Experiences, Inner Space, the Kingdom of the Heavens Within, Mystic Poetry, Vegetarian Vegan, Ahimsa, Love, and God. The term "Sant Mat" was coined by Sant Tulsi Sahib of Hathras during the 19th Century.
Swami Santsevi Ji Maharaj, the Great Scholar Sant, on the Occasion of His Jayanti — Birthday Commemoration
We Remember Swami Santsevi Ji Maharaj (12–20–1920 — 6–4–2007)
The Goal of Sant Mat Spirituality and Meditation: Our Path Back to the Source — The Inward Journey Back to God
“Sant Mat (the path and teachings as taught and practiced by Saints [Sant Satgurus]) delineates the path of union of soul with God. The teachings of the saints explain the re-uniting as follows:
“The individual soul has descended from the higher worlds [the Realm of the Divine] to this city of illusion, bodily existence. It has descended from the Soundless State to the essence of Sound, from that Sound to Light, and finally from the realm of Light to the realm of Darkness. The qualities (dharmas, natural tendencies) of the sense organs draw us downward and away from our true nature.
“The nature of the soul (atman) draws us upwards and inwards and establishes us in our own true nature. Returning to our origins involves turning inward: withdrawal of consciousness from the senses and the sense objects in order to go upward from the darkness to the realms of Light and Sound. [We experience this phenomenon of withdrawal as we pass from waking consciousness to deep sleep.] Another way to express this is to go inward from the external sense organs to the depth of the inner self. (Both of these expressions are the metaphors that signify the same movement). The natural tendencies of the soul (atman) are to move from outward to inward. The current of consciousness which is dispersed in the nine gates of the body and the senses, must be collected at the tenth gate.
“The tenth gate is the gathering point of consciousness. Therein lies the path for our return. The tenth gate is also known as the sixth chakra, the third eye, bindu, the center located between the two eyebrows. This is the gateway through which we leave the gates of the sense organs and enter in the divine realms and finally become established in the soul. We travel back from the Realm of Darkness to the Realm of Light, from the Light to the Divine Sound, and from the Realm of Sound to the Soundless State. This is called turning back to the Source.
“This is what dharma or religion really intends to teach us. This is the essence of dharma.” (Swami Santsevi Ji Maharaj, “Harmony Of All Religions”).
Know Yourself and Know God: “Practice ‘Drishti Yoga’ (Yoga of Inner Light) and ‘Nadaanusandhana’ (Yoga of Inner Sound, Surat Shabd Yoga). This will remove the layers of Darkness, Light and Sound (that conceal your Soul from the Supreme Sovereign Soul, i.e. God). You will, thus, get to know ‘Who You Are’. And, when you know yourself, you will also know God.” (Swami Santsevi Ji Maharaj)
Satsang Video: Santsevi Speaks about Qualification of the Guru -- Hindi With English Subtitles:
“The world is like an army of stars in the dawn sky. Sahajo says: they will not stay. Like a pearl of dew, like water in the hollow of your hands. The mind makes a fortress of smoke and creates a glorious kingdom there. It is a game of hide and seek, Sahajiya, nothing happens. No truth is told. Know that the world is false, only the soul remains. Sahajo says: know the true Self, which time cannot destroy.” (Sant Sahjo Bai)
Gnostic Tips For the Spiritual Seeker, the Explorer of Inner Space, by James Bean -- Light and Sound on The Path
"And there shall be others of those who are outside our number who name themselves bishop and also deacons, as if they have received their authority from God. They bend themselves under the judgment of the leaders. Those people are dry canals." (from the aptly named book, The Apocalypse of Peter, from Codex Seven of the Nag Hammadi Library of Egypt)
"Nag Hammadi is Where They Found the Gnostic Gospels". Oddly enough, that's also the title of an episode of the television series, Gilmore Girls (Season 4, Episode 13). And absolutely nothing gnostic was said. I kid you not!
It's important to know what Gnosticism IS as well as what it IS NOT. On the web is much, what I call, 'gnostic nonsense' (gnonsense?). People call all sorts of paranormal subjects "gnostic", lower astral something-or-another's that go bump (or beep) in the night as somehow being "gnostic". There are those who re-label countless unrelated offtopic paths as "gnostic", generic new agey this or that, or maybe crashed UAP's with "biologics". Some even desperately seek gnosticism in certain American fundamentalist denominations. Maybe gnostic wisdom can even be discovered in a bargain bin at the dollar store.
Apparently everything's gnostic except actual Gnosticism. THAT, most don't have time for. THAT, remains the forbidden topic, the mystery always concealed as souls prefer the shiny things of distraction. The spiritual seeker soon gets weary of slog after slog searching in vain in all the wrong places, but is this not the whole point of this psyops cosmic conspiracy game of telephone in the first place, to wear you down before you can even begin? To run out the clock of... time? I believe YES. Bishop Irenaeus the gnostic heresy hunter zealously agrees. Gnosticism remains tragically, woefully unexplored, unknown, existing in the far country, a mythic realm, Gnosticland, revealed by sages who remain unnamed, discussed in expensive unattainable books published by E.J. Brill!
"The watchmaker works all day, and long into the night
He pieces things together despite his failing sight
Though all the cogs connect with such poetic grace
Time has left its curse upon this place
Each hour becomes another empty space to fill
Wasted with the care and virtues of his skill"
(lyrics from, The Watchmaker, by Steven Wilson)
Divination tools, the roll of the dice designed to only provide a limited number of predictable outcomes, minerals, the elements, astrology, the planets -- rocks in space made of matter with varying degrees of gravity -- or at least those planets that the Babylonians knew about during the Bronze Age, also are not gnostic. The soul is beyond their influence, is above the stars. Classic Gnosticism -- people who actually were gnostics part of real gnostic schools of spirituality in antiquity -- did believe there were powers behind some of those random fate powered or providence generating divination portals, but demiurgical powers, archons (negative rulers), Yaldabaoth's Bag of Tricks, the Cruel Hand of Fate dualistically doling out ups and downs, fair weather and foul, good days and bad upon one's lower subtle-body coverings, but in the end it's all just Mercury Retrograde my friend!
There are a few Euro-colonialist esotericists who, long ago, appropriated, exploited and exported gnostic resources from Egypt setting up their edited spiritual paths in the West. And who knows, maybe their redacted esoterica combined with whatever else for cultic brewhaha craziness could represent a step forward for the seeker. There's a handful of neo-gnostic paths out there that, like spiders, build their nests near the Light!
No doubt one can find somebody willing to invite you to go down the stairs into their dark cobweby basement where they will eagerly baptize you into their version of gnosis. If there really is a baptismal tank down there and you get to live to tell of the experience, you perhaps might believe you've made some progress. After all, religions of all strains and variants provide, at least as perceived by the seeker, some benefit. But the question remains, Is this a true manifestation of Gnosticism according to actual Gnostics of the classic gnostic variety as is represented by collections of surviving gnostic scriptures such as the Nag Hammadi Library, Pistis Sophia or the Ginza Rabba? Or, in the words of Shri Frank Zappa: "Is that a real poncho . . . I mean Is that a Mexican poncho or is that a Sears poncho? Hmmm . . . no foolin' . . ." (song lyrics from Camarillo Brillo, Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention)
“Gnostic” is Such an Abused Word — Let the Gnostics Define Their Own Beliefs and Practices
My take is simply to let the gnostics be gnostic, treating them equally like any other world religion and understand just what exactly the original spiritual movements labeled “Gnostic” actually taught based on what they themselves have to say about that, and not what other esoteric groups coming into being many centuries or millennia later assume they taught cooking in their own particular theological and cultural cauldron of biases in Europe or the US.
So, as I view the saga of the gnostics, the treatment of the true classic gnostics of antiquity, the only solution is to let the gnostics be gnostic, truly hear their voice embedded in the surviving texts that come directly from them, and allow them to speak for themselves, define their own beliefs, diet, and spiritual practices. Then others may truly benefit from their wisdom, and in that sense Gnosticism as a spiritual path can potentially reincarnate into the world again, or far more likely and best of all, help some to recognize those who already seem to be following something equivalent to a Living Gnosis Now in the modern age.
The Soul Passes By Many Spiritual Paths and Passes Through Many Semi-Heavenly Regions on It's Journey Towards Truth
"The servants of the first guardian came to meet me.
They said, 'Let us take this man with us as our captive.
He might serve as a companion to us.'
"They asked me, 'Hail, companion;
Where did you come from? Where do you go?'
"I came from the earth, I am going to Hayyi [Mandaean name for the Supreme Being in the Eighth Heaven],
and my path is to the Place of Life.
"They said, 'This is the Place of Life;
here it is, so where are you going now?'
"I said to myself, 'I am not one of them.
If I stayed with them, I would endure every torment.
This is not what my soul desires and wants.
The soul within me yearns for Hayyi.
The soul within me demands Hayyi.
My goal is to reach the Place of Life.'" (Mandaean Ginza Rabba, The Gnostic Book of the Great Treasure)
Meanwhile, The Hidden Realm of Gnosticland, "the Seed of True Humanity", is Only to be Found Within You Via the Third Eye In Another Kind of Sky
Though even with some wrye humor the above-picture does sound truly bleak for our beleaguered gnostic spiritual seeker shopping for books at the dollar store. But after all, this is just another bad dream that we can awaken from!
"Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens." (Carl Jung)
"Happy is the one who comes to himself and awakens." (Valentinus, Gospel of Truth, Nag Hammadi Library)
"Awakened Souls always draw our attention to the fact that we are being deceived. If at all there is anything true or eternal, it is the soul or the Oversoul." (Kirpal Singh)
"If your eye becomes single, your whole body shall be full of Light." (YesHUa)
The Seat of the Soul in This Temple of the Human Body is the Third Eye Center: "The soul is currently situated at the back of the Eye Center. And, therefore, Saints say that you start from there. You start focusing there and focus your attention where the soul and the Master stay. That is at the back of the Eye Center." (Baba Ram Singh)
“Thus as a result of recollecting all these things the impulses of the mind are extended from the sphere of material things towards those impulses which are without limit, that is to say, wonder at the New World, and the faculty of vision which belongs to contemplation [of God]. For when the vision of the mind is mingled with the Light..., all its impulses become infinite. For none of the Visionaries or ‘Gnostics’ is able to distinguish the identity of the mind as a result of the vision of that glorious Light that is seen .... for all the innermost chambers of the heart are filled by that blessed Light...”. (Joseph the Visionary, Syriac Mystic on singleness of vision quoted in, The Syriac Fathers on Prayer and the Spiritual Life, translated from the Aramaic by Sebastian Brock)
"Do not cease seeking day or night and do not let yourselves relax until you find the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Light, which will purify you and make you into pure Light and lead you into the Kingdom of Light." (Book of Pistis Sophia/Faith Wisdom)
"Meditate on the True Name, and rise within just like ascending a staircase. Listen to the Music of the Heavens... Ascend on the lifeline of the Sound Current as a spider climbs up the thread." (Baba Somanath)
"Become passers-by." (Saying 42, Coptic Gospel of Thomas)
Some have wondered what this saying really means. Another translation renders it: "Come into being as you pass away." (The Gospel of Thomas, Wisdom of the Twin, by Lynn Bowman) In other words, by meditation practice get established in the heavenly realms during this life, finding a permanent home there instead of remaining attached to samsara, the world of changes. And there’s another version this saying found in India: "The world is a bridge. Pass over it, but do not build your dwelling there." (Arabic inscription at the site of a mosque at Fatehpur Sikri, India attributed to Isa or YesHUa)
Yes, Yes, Nag Hammadi is where they found the Gnostic Gospels but within you is where you will find the gnosis.
Often spiritual teachers describe souls who reach a breakthrough in consciousness. After the soul reaches a point in it’s mystic travels where it becomes free of all it’s coverings of mind and matter, it reaches the realization of it’s true nature as spirit and exclaims, “I am that! I am that! I am that! I am that!” The medieval mystic Kabir once said, “The Light of one soul is equal to that of sixteen suns!” But to sleeping humanity this reality remains completely hidden from view. We are gods clothed in rags.
Meditation is a kind of temporary “death” to the outer world of the five senses as well as outer images and thoughts. When one fasts from the world and enters into this kind of sabbath-rest, it becomes possible for the soul to begin to perceive something of the Other World that it inhabits. The soul’s spiritual senses begin to perceive in the heavenly realms. One becomes progressively more and more receptive to the heavenly Sound and Light with the eyes and ears of the soul.
Zekli Le's Gnostic Chart of the Heavens
The gnostic system of heavens maps out the journey of meditation through the inner regions. Who are the Living Ones who are explorers of Inner Space, the Kingdom of the Heavens within, those who practice this form of meditation and make this journey? You know, most of the living spiritual teachers who embody this kind of spirituality don't even call themselves "gnostics", even though they are the most authentic examples of living gnostic teachers on the planet. They just happen to have been part of the unbroken chain of spiritual masters that have been around for countless generations, millennia. The names of their spiritual movements keep changing as the centuries quickly go flying past but they continue to preserve and practice this kind of Living Mystic Path, The Path of the Masters.
Everyone has their own third eye whether they realize it or not. Through the Divine Path of Initiation one will learn of the spiritual practices that make it possible to access the third eye center, the seat of the soul, within the temple of the human body. We will discover for ourselves the Mysteries of the Spirit. The Kingdom of the Heavens will open up before us on this inward journey of the soul as we travel through vast realms of Light, Sound and Love on our way back to God.
The goal of this Path is not simply going TO the various inner planes or heavens of creation but to pass THROUGH them on our way back to the Most High Supreme Being, The Nameless One given many names.
"Whoever joins the Immortal becomes Immortal.
Whoever delights in the Living One is living."
(Ode 3, Book of The Odes)
"Look upon the Living One so long as you live, that you may not die and seek to see him, and be unable to see him." (Saying 59, Coptic Gospel of Saint Thomas)
"Saints come into this world and They enlighten us. They remind us of our True Home of God Almighty -- our True Father. They encourage us to go back. And They motivate us to go back. So, we are indeed fortunate to get this human body and get this life. And it is with the Grace of God Almighty that we have the company of the Masters. Now, we should make the most of that and follow the Teachings of the Masters and make the efforts to go back to our True Home." (Baba Ram Singh)
The Third Eye in Meditation: “Close your eyes as in sleep, and look sweetly, lovingly, intently into the middle of the darkness lying in front of you. You will see a dark veil. That which sees the dark veil within, without the help of your physical eyes, IS the inner eye.” (Kirpal Singh)
"It is in the darkness that one finds the Light." (Meister Eckhart)
"The eye through which I see God is the same eye through which God sees me; my eye and God's eye are one eye, one seeing, one knowing, one love." -- Meister Eckhart
“I wander about
searching after my soul,
which is worth ages and worlds to me.
I went and found my soul —
what are
all the worlds
to me?”
-- The Qolasta — Gnostic Canonical Prayer Book of the Mandaeans
"Within this earthen vessel are bowers and groves, and within it is the Creator:
Within this vessel are the seven oceans and the unnumbered stars.
The touchstone and the jewel-appraiser are within;
And within this vessel the Eternal soundeth, and the spring wells up.
Kabir says: 'Listen to me, my Friend! My Beloved Lord is within.'" (Kabir)
A History-based Middle Ground of Sikh Vegetarian History
In the Beas publication about the life and teachings of Guru Nanak there is cited a passage from a Muslim historian saying that Nanak abstained from animal food and enjoined against cruelty to animals: "Having prohibited his disciples to drink wine and eat pork, he (Nanak) himself abstained from eating flesh and ordered not to hurt any living being." (Mohsin Fani, Persian historian, Dabistan-e-Mazahib)
"The Dabestan-e Mazaheb (Persian: دبستان مذاهب) 'school of religions' is a Persian language work that examines and compares Abrahamic, Dharmic and other religions of the mid-17th century South Asia and the Middle East." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dabestan-e_Mazaheb
Usually authorship of this book is attributed to Mohsin Fani, a scholar of comparative religion and who also was friends with the Sixth Sikh Guru Guru Hargobind. "Born around 1615 in Iran, Mohsin Fani was once migrated to India, for the study of the religions there, in the time of the sixth Sikh guru, Guru Hargobind Sahib with whom he had friendly relationships." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohsin_Fani
I found several volumes and translations of the Dabestan-e Mazaheb online including English editions. The one at Scribd seems fairly complete and nicer than some of the others so I downloaded it.
It does contain the passage that's found in the RSSB book about the teachings of Guru Nanak
https://scienceofthesoul.org/books-EN-007-0.html but it's far more informative to cite the whole paragraph of material where the quote is found, bringing greater clarity to the question of vegetarianism and Sikhism from this early source that predates many texts that mainstream Sikhs rely upon. The English translation of this old edition is not ideal but clear enough. I've bracketed in the correct spellings of the various Sikh Gurus.
"Nanac [Guru Nanak] had a great number of disciples. He professed the unity of God, which is called the law of Muhammed, and believed the metempsychosis, or transmigration of the soul from one body to another. Having prohibited his disciples wine and to eat pork, he himself abstained from eating flesh and ordered not to hurt any living being. After him, this precept was neglected by his followers; but Arjun mal [Guru Arjan Dev], one of the substitutes of his faith [successors of Nanak], as soon as he found that it was wrong, renewed the prohibition to eat flesh, and said, 'This has not been approved by Nanac [Nanak].' Afterward, Hargovind [Guru Hargobind, 6th Sikh Guru], son of Arjunmal [Guru Arjan Dev, 5th Sikh Guru], eat flesh, and went to hunt, and his followers imitated his example." (THE DABISTAN OR SCHOOL OF MANNERS, TRANSLATED FROM THE ORIGINAL PERSIAN BY DAVID SHEA AND ANTHONY TROVER, page 285, section on the Nanak sect, 1901 edition)
The short passage from the above as quoted by Janak Raj Puri in the Beas publication does make for a good proof-text for the vegetarianism of Guru Nanak and his immediate disciples, but as we can see from the context of the whole paragraph, with this wider field of vision things aren't looking so good for Sikh vegetarianism after the time of Guru Nanak.
The Fifth Sikh Guru Arjan Dev rediscovered? this lost? prohibition about eating flesh once taught by Guru Nanak and revives the precept of vegetarianism during his day. But then, soon enough, it fell by the wayside again with even Arjan's own son Hargobind eating meat and going on hunting trips.
So the above-quoted short passage from the Dabistan-e-Mazahib about the vegetarianism of Guru Nanak initially sounded quite good in support of vegetarianism, but a wider view of the whole text portrays vegetarianism as being forgotten by Sikh Gurus number Two, Three, and Four. Guru Five brings vegetarianism back. And I should also include Guru Arjan Dev's Adi Granth scribe Bhai Gurdaas, as his collection of poetry verses or vaars called Vaaran Bhai Gurdas, also affirms vegetarianism. Bhai Gurdaas Ji said: "They eat meat by cutting throats, what will their own condition be?" (Vaar 24, Pauree 17)
And then, according to the very same Dabistan-e-Mazahib by Mohsin Fani, Arjan's own son Hargobind, Sikh Guru Number Six, ate meat, went on hunting trips, thus presenting the latter Sikh gurus as meat-eating sat gurus. No more mandated* vegetarianism in the sangats of the Sikhs after the time of the Fifth Sikh Guru and his scribe Bhai Gurdaas.
* Not a precept all disciples must follow.
For a One Hundred Percent Vegetarian Version of Sikh History We Have the Namdharis
Now what's presented above represents a kind of middle path or middle ground on the question of vegetarianism and Sikhism. There is the smaller Sikh sub-sect called the Namdhari's that, in their timeline or version of reality, present all Ten Sikh Gurus as being staunch and adamant vegetarians, including Guru Gobind Singh. For instance in alternative Namdhari texts this is attributed to Guru Gobind Singh:
"One who does not steal, commit adultery, slander anyone, gamble, eat meat or drink wine will be liberated in this very life (i.e. Jeewan Mukt)". (Guru Gobind Singh, 10th Sikh Guru, Sudharam Marag Granth -- Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s “Updesh” to Bhai Daya Singh ji which is mentioned in “Sudharam Marag Granth”, and also found written in some old handwritten volumes of Sri Guru Granth Sahib): https://web.archive.org/web/20180329213659/http://www.info-sikh.com/PageM1.html
“His Disciples, Soaked in The Bliss of Nam, gave up opium, hashish, poppy, liquor and various other intoxicants. They would not eat meat. They would not steal. They foreswore adultery and deception. They Practised Saintliness.” -- Sri Guru Panth Parkash): http://namdhari.faithweb.com/panthparkash.htm
If one reads those alternative Namdhari scriptures and histories, according to them there were no meat-eating satgurus going on hunting trips after all. That would be the one hundred percent vegetarian version of Sikh history.
Meet the Meat-Eating Satgurus Going on Hunting Trips, A Carnivorous Version of Sikh History
If one wishes to customize their personal version of Sikh history in the pro-meat direction, this is easily accomplished as well, with many supporting scriptures at hand and much pro-meat lore about each of the Ten Sikh Gurus, even with a critical critique of Mohsin Fani's Dabistan-e-Mazahib, AND yet another Granth attributed to Guru Gobind Singh. This one's called the Sarbloh Granth or Sarabloh Granth, "a voluminous scripture, composed of more than 6,500 poetic stanzas. It is traditionally attributed as being the work of Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh guru." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarbloh_Granth
"The Dabistan-i-Mazahib, from which I have culled and translated the account of the Nanak-panthis, the followers of Guru Nanak, is generally acknowledged to be the work of Shaikh Mohsin Fani." (from the Introduction)
"I have been strictly literal in my rendering, with the result that not unoften the diction and idiom of the English language had to be sacrificed to keep it as near the original as possible. For this I crave the readers’ indulgence. I have given my explanations of the doubtful points in footnotes, and, although some of them have grown disproportionately lengthy, I hope the discussions therein will not be found wholly uninteresting." (page 198)
He quotes the Dabistan-i-Mazahib and adds some footnotes/commentary:
"'Holding wine and pork unlawful, he abstained from animal food 6 and enjoined against cruelty to animals. After his death meat-eating became common among his disciples. And when Arjan Mai, who is one of the prophetic order of Nanak, found that evil, he prohibited people from meat-eating and said: “This practice is not in accordance with the wishes of Nanak.” 7 Eventually Hargobind, son of Arjan Mai, ate meat and hunted, and most of his disciples followed his practice.'
[footnote] 6. "Here Mohsin-Fani or his informant seems to have erred. There is nothing in the teachings of Guru Nanak to condemn the use of animal food. On the other hand we find him cooking a deer, which a disciple had presented to him at Kurukshetar during his visit to that place. When the Brahmans expressed their horror at his cooking of flesh on the occasion of a Solar Eclipse..."
[footnote] 7. "There is no such sentence traceable in the sayings of Guru Arjan in the Guru Granth Sahib."
Dr. Ganda Singh is correct that the Adi Granth doesn't contain that passage from Guru Arjan Dev. Mohsin-Fani didn't say it was from the Granth. Mohsin-Fani was friends with Hargobind, the Sixth Sikh Guru and son of Guru Arjan Dev. In other words he was there, was a contemporary, was not just relying upon the Granth. It would be absolutely wonderful to know the source for that particular citation. Indeed! Indeed!
In his footnote # 6 Dr. Ganda Singh then goes on to quote a few standard Granth verses that are often used to call into question the legitimacy of vegetarianism. The same passages are used over and over and can be found here -- see key word search of "meat" in this topical edition of the Granth: https://archive.org/details/in.gov.ignca.1918/page/n263/mode/2up?q=meat
Dr. Ganda Singh mentions a story about Guru Nanak cooking a deer but doesn't actually share with the reader where he found this. No citation is given, just a mention of the story followed by the standard verses from the Granth used to bolster the position of mainstream Sikhism in opposition to vegetarianism. However, I am acquainted with that particular deer meat story, where it's located!
It's interesting to notice that Dr. Ganda Singh here has attempted to refute the vegetarianism of Guru Nanak as recorded in a mid-17th century history book by the Persian scholar Mohsin Fani, a contemporary and friend of the Sixth Sikh Guru, by calling upon a hagiographical collection of apocryphal verses composed at a later date long after the time of the Tenth Sikh Guru Gobind Singh mainly used by the Nihang sect. (Usually historians give more weight to earlier texts over later ones, and neutral ones over self-serving sectarian ones.) This collection of stories about the Sikh Gurus, including about Guru Nanak eating deer meat, are attributed to Gobind Singh in a collection of writings known as the Sarbloh Granth. Most don't believe the Sarbloh Granth to really represent the compositions of Gobind Singh. "It is traditionally attributed as being the work of Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh guru. Scholars, on the other hand, attribute the work to after the Guru's death, being authored by an unknown poet. The work is mostly revered by the Nihang sect." -- Sarbloh Granth: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarbloh_Granth
"The Sarbloh Granth is a text associated with Guru Gobind Singh - which has not been translated into English. This website holds the only repository of translations of the Sarbloh Granth."
Guru Nanak As Meat-Eating Satguru? Guru Nanak and Meat
"When Guru Nanak visited Kurukshetra he cooked deer meat which attracted the attention of the local Pandits who questioned the Guru's actions. In a reply the Guru mentioned that this is the Dharam of a warrior, to which the Pandits replied:
"The Pandit then said, "Warriors always have weapons with them, you have adorned the garb of an ascetic. Without weapons how can I recognize you as a warrior?"
"Guru Nanak said, "I do have weapons with me - the recitation of the name of the Creator Kartar is my sharp sword. The large bow that I have is the True Congregation Satsangat.
"The practice of controlling the senses are the numerous arrows, and I use all of them to quickly kill the Deer-like-mind. In the fire like awareness of Braham the All-pervasive I cook this meat in an offering hom*. This is forever my mindset.
* as in homage
"Gurpratap Suraj Prakash Granth 1843, author: the Great Poet Santokh Singh
For those desirous of customizing their Sikh history in a pro-meat direction, the Sarbloh Granth and other related writings of the Nihang sect will not disappoint. Do a few key word searches of "meat" at the Manglacharan Sarbloh Granth website and you'll find lots of stories about all ten Sikh gurus being meat-eating satgurus.
Final Thoughts, My Conclusions About This Particular Hall of Mirrors History
Out of all these versions of Sikh history the Namdhari one seems the most pleasant. Being vegan, my personal preference or confirmation bias would be to have all ten Sikh gurus portrayed as lacto-vegetarians if not "level five vegans" (Simpson's reference). Unfortunately, the claims of the Namdharis fall short. An ethereal, visionary or ghostly apparition of Gobind Singh in the year 1812 appointing Balak Singh as the 11th Guru is a rather strange fictitious tale, making the Namdharis not exactly a reliable go-to source on matters of Sikh history.
Guru Gobind Singh would have been one hundred and forty six years old in the year 1812. A Wiki Entry for Guru Balak Singh, Founder of the Namdhari Sikh Sect:
"Namdhari Sikhs believe he was the successor of Guru Gobind Singh, a stance that differs them from mainstream Sikhism. According to Namdharis, Guru Gobind Singh did not die from the wounds inflicted by the assassination attempt on his life in 1708, but instead lived-on as a recluse under the pseudonym of "Ajapal Singh", passing on the guruship to Balak Singh before his death. Namdharis believe Guru Gobind Singh lived to the ripe-old age of 146 when he died in the year 1812, long enough to be contemporary with Namdhari Guru Balak Singh and pass on the Guruship to him."
The extra-meatiness and sword collecting of the Nihangs seem to represent a later, much different version of Sikhism attempting to rewrite Sikh history, to remake it after their own image, doctrines, dogmas, and diet.
Mainstream orthodox Sikhism's deliberate ignoring of pro-vegetarian passages that are to be found in the Adi Granth, also in the Vaaran Bhai Gurdas, and references by historians such as Shaikh Mohsin Fani, have a familiar religious ring. If one needs to turn a blind eye, to be in denial or ignore something, that something is probably worth exploring.
See, Sikh And You Will Find: The Vegetarian Diet, Sikh Gurus and Scriptures, A Collection of Passages:
I do suspect the 'middle path' account of Shaikh Mohsin Fani, author of the Dabestan-e Mazaheb (Dabistan-i-Mazahib) is likely to be closest to the truth on the question of vegetarian ethics and Sikhism.
The latter five Sikh gurus seem quite distant and different from the earlier Five, and from Sant tradition generally, which requires adherence to a vegetarian diet and a meditation practice that includes Surat Shabd Yoga. The execution of Guru Arjan Dev in 1606 brought to an end the lineage of Sikh gurus that were Sants, as some have already suggested. I believe they are correct and now have joined their ranks as sharing that point of view myself. With the death of Guru Arjan Dev, from that point forward we get "meat-eating satgurus" who "went on hunting trips". And the poetry of the Dasam Granth and other later collections of spiritual poetry are for the most part not compatible with, or of the same vibe, depth or spirit as, that of the compositions of anyone we would conceive of as a Sant such as Paltu Sahib, Dariya Sahib, Tulsi Sahib, Charan Das, Sahjo Bai, Guru Nanak, etc... (Most Sikhs also don't put the Dasam Granth on the same level as the Adi Granth.)
One can even read the writings of Sant Dariya of Bihar as expressing criticisms of Sikhism:
"Likewise, when the beheaded goat is brought to your house,
Your children are all excited with joy.
You give little pieces to your children
And eat away the rest of the meat yourself."
"As long as the discipline of the Sound Current is preserved unadulterated, The line of succession will truly continue. But when it is mixed with outer rituals and display of external garbs, My Sound Current will part company. My divine essence will depart And souls will go into the mouth of Kal."
"External garbs"...like the Khalsa dress code: baggy shorts, a sword, a wooden comb, an iron bracelet, and unshorn hair?
It was so nice to find in English the old history of the Sikhs according to Mohsin Fani. What he was saying about Nanak and Guru Arjan Dev being the main enforcers of vegetarianism, mandating vegetarianism as a universal precept for all Sikhs, perfectly aligns with the contents of the Adi Granth. Years ago I compiled a collection of vegetarian verses of the Granth. Those also happen to be from Guru Nanak and Arjan Dev! Also there's one from Arjan's scribe Bhai Gurdaas (in his collection of verses known as the Bhai Gurdas Vaaran), and the Granth has pro-veg verses from Kabir.
Perhaps one of those other guru lineages branching off one of the earlier Sikh gurus fared better at preserving the teachings of Guru Nanak. Hard to say. That might be good to explore, if there's any substantial information about those other sects available, such as the Nanak Panthis.
Note: The account in the Dabistan-i-Mazahib states: "After him [Nanak], this precept was neglected by his followers; but Arjun mal [Guru Arjan Dev], one of the substitutes of his faith [successors of Nanak], as soon as he found that it was wrong, renewed the prohibition to eat flesh, and said, 'This has not been approved by Nanac [Nanak].'" And history repeats. Others in Sikhism would do the same and adopt a vegetarian diet. There's always been a minority of Sikhs who have been vegetarian. No doubt much more could be said; more texts from various Sikh sects could be cited. Vegetarianism @ Sikh Wiki: https://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Vegetarianism
Video: The Wise Guru Nanak: Passage from Sarbloh Granth:
