Origins of the Sant Tradition and Saints of the South, by James Bean

Origins of the Sant Tradition and Saints of the South, by James Bean

Referring to Sant Tulsi Sahib's origins: "He came from the south, and was popularly known as Dakhani Baba, which means 'Sage from the South'". (Tulsi Sahib, Saint of Hathras, J. R. Puri and V. K. Sethi, page 3, second edition, 1981)

With the Sant tradition of India the most famous Sants by far are the northern ones like Kabir, Nanak, Goswami Tulsi Das, Mirabai, etc... Lesser-known is the Sant tradition of Maharashtra as represented by Eknath, Namdev, Tukarama, Jnanadeva, and Samartha Ramadasa. There is however an even more obscure history of Sants in south India. The book, Saints of South India, Part One: Karnataka, by Dr. N. Subrahmanyam, P. Aravinda Rao, and K. G. Ramaprakash, published by the Beas satsang, features three prominent Sants of the south: Purandaradasa, Kanakadasa, and Shishunala Sharif Sahib. These were part of the Haridasas, the Haridasa branch of the Bhakti movement. More about them here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haridasa 

 

I've always been curious about when the Path of the Sants emerged in Indian history. Often people assume the Sants or Sant Mat began with poet-mystics such as Kabir or Nanak but clearly they were not the first Sants. Kabir is believed to have been born in 1440, Nanak 1469. Previous to the 15th century Sants and much earlier in the Sant tradition was Sant Jayadeva, born in east India during 1170, author of the Gita Govinda. Some of his compositions were also eventually included in the Sikh scriptures, the Adi Granth compiled in 1604. In Maharashtra were significant Bhakti Sants such as Jnaneshwar (1275-1296). A disciple and spiritual successor of Jnaneshwar was Visoba Khechar (unknown - 1309 CE), and Sant Namdev (1270-1350) was a famous disciple of Visoba Khechar.

Tracing the Sant tradition much further back in time I am rather intrigued by this statement in this book about the Saints of south India: "The Bhakti movement is thought to have originated in Tamil Nadu during the seventh century and eventually spread through Karnataka, Maharashtra, and then across India during the sixteenth-century." (Saints of South India, page 2) Tamil Nadu is the southernmost state of India.

This Wikipedia entry for the Bhakti movement pushes the date back to the 6th century: "The Bhakti movement was a significant religious movement in medieval Hinduism[1] that sought to bring religious reforms to all strata of society by adopting the method of devotion to achieve salvation.[2] Originating in Tamilakam during 6th century CE,[3][4] it gained prominence through the poems and teachings of the Vaishnava Alvars and Shaiva Nayanars in early medieval South India, before spreading northwards.[1] It swept over east and north India from the 15th century onwards, reaching its zenith between the 15th and 17th century CE." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhakti_movement 

The above paragraph at Wikipedia cites some credible sources that one may consult for further exploration of the history of Nirguna Bhakti Sants (devotees of the Formless Supreme Being) including: A Storm of Songs: India and the Idea of the Bhakti Movement, John Hawley, Harvard University Press, 2015; Bhakti Religion in North India: Community Identity and Political Action, David Lorenzen, State University of New York Press, 1995; and, The Sants: Studies in a Devotional Tradition of India, Karine Schomer, W.H. McLeod, Motilal Banarsidass, 1987)

I will have to research possible poet-Saints of the Tamil Nadu Sant tradition and explore what might be published in English from this earlier period.

Can we date the Sant tradition even earlier in the history of India? It's certainly the case that some ancient Upanishads taught about a Formless Purusha (Supreme Being), and have references to inner Light and Sound (Nada Yoga) meditation practices. In the Wiki entry cited above on the Bhakti movement is this paragraph: "Klaus Witz, in contrast, traces the history and nature of the Bhakti movement to the Upanishadic and the Vedanta foundations of Hinduism. He writes that in virtually every Bhakti movement poet, 'the Upanishadic teachings form an all-pervasive substratum, if not a basis.'"

As I wrote in my paper, The Origins Of Sant Mat, there are a few rare tantalizing references to Sants of antiquity:  

 

Seeing references in Krishna/Vaishnava Hindu scriptures, Sant Tulsi Sahib of Hathras was of the opinion that the Sant movement dates back to the time of Krishna thousands of years ago, that Krishna knew of Sants during his day.

An Example of 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 of the Tulsi Sahib/Maharshi Mehi Sant Mat lineage in his book, The Inward Journey of the Soul, Amazon Kindle e-book)

Some poetry from a biography of Dadu Dayal: "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 in, The Life Story of Dadu Dayal -- The Book of Janma Lila, translated into English by the scholar Winand M. Callewaert, in, The Hindi Biography of Dadu Dayal, Motilal Banarsidass)

For more see, The Origins of Sant Mat:   

https://archive.org/details/the-origins-of-sant-mat/page/n1/mode/2up 

Back to the recently published book on Sants of south India: "Purandara Dasa and Kanaka Dasa, lived in the sixteenth century, and are quite well known all over South India... Shishunala Sharif [19th century Sant], is not as well-known as the other two, but his teachings are nevertheless very profound. His background and poetry reminds one of Kabir." (Saints of South India - Part 1- Karnataka, 2024:  https://scienceofthesoul.org/books-EN-279-1.html  )

And, as the title implies, there likely will be a Part 2 volume exploring more southern Sants.

Baba Somanath of South India

A recent Sant based in south India was Baba Somanath (1885-1976) of the Radhasoami Satsang. "Baba Sawan Singhji was very pleased with Somanathji’s seva and behaviour and initiated him into the path of Surat Shabd Yoga in January 1928. He stayed at Beas for three and a half years, practicing Surat Shabd Yoga and achieved his cherished goal. In 1932, He sought the gracious permission of his Satguru to return to Mumbai. Sawan Singhji blessed him and commanded him to propagate the principles of Santmat in South India, where it was almost unknown." (from the Gurus section of the Sawan Durbar Ashram website: http://sdakengeri.org/Gurus.htm  )

For the details of this see, The Life of Baba Somanath - Saint and Sage of South India, by Christopher McMahon, 2023:  https://babasomanathji.org/biography/baba-jis-life-story 

PDF: 

https://babasomanathji.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Life-Story-of-Baba-Somanath-Ji.pdf 

And this biography is also available as a 323 page hardcover book by Christopher McMahon:

https://babasomanathji.org/for-further-information-contact

 

Baba Somanath was also one of the greatest bhajan singers of the 20th Century. You can hear recordings of many of his rather moving hymns here: 

https://babasomanathji.org/bhajans

Thoughts Become Things -- The Power of Thought -- Light and Sound on The Path: Sant Mat, Radhasoami Spirituality

Thoughts Become Things -- The Power of Thought

The following story is found in the Sawan Singh book, Tales of the Mystic East.

Love Begets Love

When Akbar was once taking a walk, accompanied by Birbal, one of his ministers, they saw a peasant coming from a distance. King Akbar told Birbal that he would like to shoot this man and asked Birbal:

"When we meet the peasant, please find out what is passing through his mind."

When the peasant came near, Birbal, pointing to King Akbar, asked the peasant what he thought about him, saying:

"Please do not hesitate nor cheat, but speak out your mind truthfully."

"I would like to pull out every single hair in his beard," the peasant told him, with some venom.

When Birbal repeated this to the King, he sighed, and said:

"Ah, Birbal, it is as the holy men who visit my court have so often told us. It is love alone that leads us to find a Saint and by him be taken to the mansion of the Lord. Hatred brings only hatred in return, and binds us still tighter to this world." (Tales of the Mystic East)

"Love is the key to the secrets of God." (Rumi)

"This is my commandment, that you love one another." (Christ)

"The Truth do I utter, let all hear:

Who loveth, he alone findeth the Lord." (Guru Gobind Singh)

Thought Elevation -- Focusing Upon Spiritual Things

"Your worst enemy cannot harm you as much

as your own unguarded thoughts." (Buddha)

"With our thoughts we make the world." (Buddha)

"Whatever man thinketh, that he obtaineth. If he were to dwell on the Absolute, he would become immortal." (Sant Namdev quoted in the Adi Granth, Sikh Scriptures)

"Wherever one's thought dwells, there will that person rest. At his pleasure, he may go to the delusion of unreality or he may merge into the Lord of the self. Where thou keepest thy mind while living, to that abode shalt thou go after death. The soul finds lodging in a place wherein it has hitherto been immersed." (Dadu Dayal)

Accumulated thoughts of living beings cause births and deaths for them again and again

"The thoughts are of various types and each thought has its hidden import. The thoughts which are soaked in attachment and illusion, form the basis of transmigration. But the thoughts which are immersed in selfless service (seva), lead one to salvation. The flow of thoughts in the mind knows no end. Not a single moment passes without those, so much so, that during sleep even, they occur in the form of dreams. What are those thoughts? Desire for anything assumes the form of a thought. The moment a desire to attain something or the other, arises in the mind, that very moment, man is thrown into an ocean of thoughts. These very thoughts become the basis of resolutions and options which cause one to enter into different forms after death. Whatever the nature of thought at the time of death determines the next form or birth for that soul.

"All the doubts and desires should be made to merge with the Shabd or Word [the Divine Current of Light and Sound], to get rid of horrible consequences of innumerable births and transmigration. Except for the desire to recite Naam, no other desire should take hold of the mind... By remembering the Lord, one attains God-realization and when this stage is reached, then there is no need to resort to any other means of attain salvation [moksha]." (The Second Master, The Shri Paramhans Advait Mat Granth)

This is a Lunar Eclipse, Seen From the Moon!

 

"Thursday brought with it a total lunar eclipse for parts of the world that could see the Moon. If you missed it (like I did) then no problem since Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost mission has got your back. The lunar lander took a break from its science duties on our nearest astronomical neighbour to capture this stunning image of the eclipse. Observers on Earth saw the shadow of the Earth fall across the Moon but for Blue Ghost, it experienced a solar eclipse where the Sun hid behind the Earth!"

-- Universe Today (article and photo): 

https://www.universetoday.com/articles/this-is-a-lunar-eclipse-seen-from-the-moon

Today's Spiritual Quotes: Eknath on Repeating the Name, and, Happy Holi!

 

"Those who've found contentment repeating the Name of God will never have to return to earth. All the world will certainly go, but the Name alone is lasting and real -- keep repeating it." (Sant Eknath of Maharashtra)

"Daily play Holi With Sat Guru. All desires will be snapped like a thread." (Swami Ji Maharaj, Sar Bachan Poetry)

Mystic Verses of Sant Maluk Das of Allababad - Classic Sants of India - Sant Mat

 

Mystic Verses of Sant Maluk Das of Allababad - Classic Sants of India - Sant Mat

About

"Maluk Das (1574–1682) was an Indian devotional poet of India. He was born in Kada, near Allababad. Themes of his songs such as social reform, religious tolerance, goodwill among men, equality and the oneness of God, resemble other singers of the Bhakti movement such as Kabir and Guru Nanak. Maluk Das believes in God as a Formless Being and the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, Who, at the same time, pervades through each and every shape. Maluk Das addresses Him by several names, e.g. Nirankar (That which has no form), Avinashi (That which does not perish), Allah, Parameshwar, Jyoti Saroop (The form of Light), Parmanand (The absolute Joy), Sirjanhaar (The Creator), etc..." (Dharmapedia)

"Maluk Das (Hindi:मलुक दास, 1574) was a devotional poet-saint from Prayagraj (Allahabad), India, a religious poet of the Bhakti Movement. These Compositions are most famous: Ratna Khan, Maluk Shatak and Gyan Bodh." (Wikipedia)

"Sant Maluk Das was one of the great poet Saints of India with the universal message of love and oneness of God. He was a Saint who taught love, amity and devotion, and looked upon everyone as equal and was never biased on the basis of caste and creed. His ashrams continue to send out a message of spirituality, integrity, and harmony to this day. They are a sanctuary where people from all walks of life come to find peace within and around. Like all great Sufis and Saints, Maluk Das revived the true spirit of religion with the ultimate objective of finding communion with God through love and devotion, not through rituals.

"The tradition of Indian Saints is all-inclusive, all embracing. It concerns the well-being of entire humanity and the Being only. This is why Sufis and Saints of the Bhakti cult like Guru Nanak, Kabir, and Rumi, Baba Farid and Maluk Das were never confined to any organized religion or sect. They aimed at direct communion with the Supreme Sovereignty. Sant Mat or Sufism shows the path leading to the union of the soul with the Ultimate Soul which Sufis or Saints call Sat Naam or Al-Haqq. Like Nanak, Kabir, and Rumi, Maluk Das adopted poetry as the medium to and spread his message of spirituality, devotion, and universal brotherhood. His poetry also deals with temporal issues and various aspects of human concerns. It seeks to promote social reform, religious tolerance, and goodwill among men. 

"Maluk Das believes in God as a Formless Being and the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, Who, at the same time, pervades through each and every form." (The Concept of God in Maluka’s Poetry, By Mohammad Saleem, Research Scholar, Department of English Studies & Modern European Languages, University of Allahabad, Allahabad, pages 1 and 2)

Selections of Sant Maluk Das's Mystic Verses

"Like Kabir, he does not believe in rituals such as pilgrimage, etc. When he has realized that his heart is itself the abode of God, these exterior forms are unnecessary."

"He enlightens his disciples that realization of one’s self leads to salvation and the divine bliss."

"When the seeker attains this stage, he is able to recognize God in every particle of the universe, and he does not need to seek God at specified places of pilgrimage."

"He seeks only the final refuge, i.e. God, Who is all pervading and can be found only through love and devotion to His name." 

"He further says that when he has realized that God dwells everywhere, in every object, and all ideas emanate from Him and end onto Him, why the Limitless Soul should be confined to a mere stone or a book?"

More Sant Maluk Das Verses (Hindi [followed by English translation])

Poem 1

“Tar hai chitai lāj karu jan kī, ḍāru hāth kī phānsī.

Jan tē tērō jōr na lahihai, rachchhapāl avināśī.”

[“You stand at the shore, mindful of your servant’s honor—cut away the noose from my hand.

Your servant cannot summon the strength on his own—O undying Preserver, deliver me.]

“Kahai Malūkā chup karu ṭhagani, auguṇ rākhu durāī.

Jo jan ubarai Rām nām kahi, tāte kachhu na basāī.”

[“Malūk says: ‘Be silent, you deceiver—hide your faults away.

If a devotee is saved by chanting Rām’s Name, you have no power to stop him.]

Poem 2

“Sōtē sōtē janam gaṃvāyā—

[While asleep, one has wasted life.]

“Māyā mōh mēṃ sani paḍō sō, Rām nām nahīṃ pāyā.”

[So immersed in worldly illusion, you never obtained Rām’s Name.]

“Mīṭhī nīnd sōyē sukh apnē, kabhūn nahīṃ alasānē.

Gāfil hōkē mahal mēṃ sōyē, phir pāchē paḍachitaānē.”

[You slumbered sweetly in self-indulgence, never once rousing yourself.

Heedless, you slept in your palace—only afterwards did regret set in.]

“Ajahūṃ uṭhō kahā̃ tum baiṭhē, binatī sunō hamārī.

Chahūṃ ōra maiṃ āhaṭ pāyā, bahut bha’ī bhū’ī bhārī.”

[Even now, rise—why do you linger? Listen to my entreaty.

I sense the signs from every side—the weight of the earth has grown heavy.]

“Bandīchhōra rahata ghaṭ bhītara, khabar na kāhū pāyī.

Kahat Malūk Rām kē paharā, jāgō mērē bhā’ī.”

[The Liberator dwells within the heart, yet no one notices.

Malūk says: Rām stands guard—awake, O my brothers.]

Poem 3

“Ab tērī śaraṇa āyō Rām.”

[Now I have come to Your refuge, O Rām.]

“Jabē suniyā sādh kē mukh, patit-pāvan nām.”

[When I heard from the saints’ lips saying the Name that saves the fallen.]

“Yahī jān pukār kīnhī, ati satāyō kām.”

[Recognizing this, I cried out, tormented by worldly desires.]

“Viṣaya sētī bhayō ājiz, kaha Malūk gulām.”

[Exhausted by sense-pleasures, says Malūk, Your slave.]

Poem 4

“Bābā man kā hai sir talē—

[O father, the mind rests beneath the head.]

“Māyā kē abhimān bhūlē, garva hī mēṃ galē.”

[“Lost in illusions of pride, you languish in conceit.]

“Jibhyā kāraṇ khūn kiyē, bāndhi jampur chalē.”

[On account of the tongue, you have committed murders—bound, you proceed to the land of

Death.]

“Rāmajī sōṃ bhayē bēmukh, agini apnī jalē.”

[Turning your face from Lord Rām, you burn in your own fire.]

“Hari bhajē sē bhayē nirbhay, ṭārahūṃ nahīṃ ṭarē.”

[Those who worship Hari become fearless; they do not waver in their resolve.]

“Kaha Malūkā jahā̃ garībī, tē’ī saba sē bhalē.”

[Malūk says: Where there is humility, those people prove the best among all.]

(from an unpublished book of 108 Satsang Talks Given by Maharshi Mehi)

Archive of Past Posts: 

https://santmatradhasoami.blogspot.com

The Way Out Is Within! Spiritual Awakening Radio, A Sant Mat Satsang Podcast

 

The Way Out Is Within! Spiritual Awakening Radio, A Sant Mat Satsang Podcast

"To the one who meditates on Him, there comes a perfect peace, and all pain and sorrows depart. Meditate on Him, who contains this universe, whose Holy Name is the whisper on the lips of the entire creation." (Guru Arjan Dev, Book of Sukhmani, Adi Granth)

@ YouTube: The Way Out Is Within! Spiritual Awakening Radio Podcast:  

https://youtu.be/0Pj2Ni9Y8OY

@ Apple Podcasts: 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-way-out-is-within/id1477577384?i=1000697592106

@ Spotify: 

https://open.spotify.com/episode/14t9h7Qug62wSi7ZnimqLY

@ Spiritual Awakening Radio Podcast - Play or Direct Download MP3: 

https://traffic.libsyn.com/spiritualawakeningradio/The_Way_Out_Is_WITHIN.mp3

@ the Podcast Website - Permalink URL - With Buttons That Take You To the Popular Podcast APPS - Wherever You Follow Podcasts: 

https://SpiritualAwakeningRadio.libsyn.com/the-way-out-is-within

@ LinkTree -- Wherever You Follow Podcasts - At Your Favorite Podcast APP Just Do a Search for "Spiritual Awakening Radio" (Youtube, Youtube Music, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, I Heart Radio, Audible/Amazon Music and Podcasts, Pocketcasts, Overcast, PodBean, Jio Saavan, etc...): 

https://linktr.ee/SpiritualAwakeningRadio

This podcast, as always, is about an in-depth exploration of the teachings of the Saints and Mystics, the Path of the Masters, unedited, unfiltered, and unaltered, as presented in their own words, from their spiritual discourses, poetry and prose, a satsang (spiritual gathering) without walls.

References, Subjects, and Sources Include: Guru Arjan Dev, Book of Sukhmani, a section of the Adi Granth. "Sukhmani" literally means "Jewel of Happiness"; two verses from the Gnostic Gospel of Thomas (sayings of Yeshua - Jesus) in rare translations you've probably never heard before: mystic verses of Sant Dariya Sahib of Bihar on the temple within the human body; Swami Ram Bihari Lal from The Way Out is IN, on freedom of soul, religions and finding the Kingdom of God, published by the Sant Garib Das group: Radhasoami Satsang Sarai Rohilla, Delhi, India; Bahadur Jagat Singh and Baba Ram Singh on having daily satsang and meditation; Carl Sagan quote; mystic verses (a bhajan) of Baba Somanath; The Light Of Ajaib, By Sant Ji on simran practice as well as about the Soundless/Wordless/Nameless State beyond the Light and Sound Currents; Kirpal Singh on Surat Shabd Yoga Meditation Practice; a satsang discourse by Baba Ram Singh titled, Once We Come To The Eye Center, The Progress Further In The Inner Planes Is Much Faster -- on the Four Stages of Concentration in Meditation: the Path of the Ant, the Path of the Fish, the Path of the Spider, and the Path of the Swan; and mystic verses of Kabir from, Songs of Kabir.

In Divine Love (Bhakti), Light, and Sound, At the Feet of the Masters, Radhasoami (Radhaswami),

James Bean

A Satsang Without Walls

Light and Sound on The Path

Sant Mat Fellowship

Santmat Satsang Podcasts

Spiritual Awakening Radio Website:

https://www.SpiritualAwakeningRadio.com

Repeat the Holy Name - from the Songs of Tallapaka Annamacharya of South India

 

Repeat the Holy Name - from the Songs of Tallapaka of South India

Whenever you're hungry, whenever you're tired

Repeat the holy name, there is no other way

In moments of want, or when you're all alone

If someone captures you and you're locked up

The blessed name of Hari is the only support

If you're forgetful and make mistakes in life

Whenever you're hungry, whenever you're tired

Repeat the holy name, there is no other way

When danger threatens, or you're scandalized

In times of sin, whenever you are in terror

The power of Hari’s name is your true comfort

Search until dusk falls; you'll find no other way

Whenever you're hungry, whenever you're tired

Repeat the holy name, there is no other way

If you're bound in chains, condemned to death

When you're waylaid on the road by creditors

The name of Venkata is the only way of release

Idiot mind, search as you wish, no other way exists

Whenever you're hungry, whenever you're tired

Repeat the holy name, the only way to go higher

-- Annamacharya, Songs of Three Great South Indian Saints, William J. Jackson

Note: Annamayya (1408 – 1503) was a Telugu musician, composer, and a Hindu saint of south India. Divine names to be repeated may vary from tradition to tradition, and even in the mystic verses above, but it's a universal spiritual practice to repeat a sacred name of God, to meditate upon it. "Repeat the holy name, the only way to go higher." (Annamacharya)

Words of Light and Love from Various Masters of the East

 

Words of Light and Love from Various Masters of the East

 

 

Very exalted is the status of the Sat Guru and very sublime his religion. He has shown the Inaccessible Region. The soul ascends to the gateway of Sat Lok and witnesses a spectacle which is beyond the reach and comprehension of ascetics. Every day she visits the region of Shyam Set, i. e., the Third Eye Center. She sees the path in the company of her friends (the senses of perception) and, ascending above, gets a close view of the region. She is dazed on seeing the refulgence of the Beloved. Her attention remains riveted on Him, and she is oblivious of her body and mind. All the barriers on the way to the Beloved are removed. She quickly ascends one mansion after another. She rids herself of all her troubles by being baptised at the Ghat (bathing place) of Triveni. Says Tulsi, from the time she became acquainted with the Beloved she, enjoying the bliss of mansions after mansions, reaches her Beloved Lord.
-- Param Sant Tulsi Sahib

 

 

I have found a Sea of Love, an inexhaustible flood;
I have opened a treasure of spiritual knowledge,
it diffuses the lustre of a million suns,
arisen in thy worshipper's souls.
-- Sant Tukarama

 

 

He has awaited me for countless ages.
Yet I did not know the bliss that was
so near to me, for my love was not
yet awake.
But now, my Lover has made known
to me the meaning of the note that
struck my ear:
Now, my good fortune is come.
Kabir says: "Behold! how great is
my good fortune! I have received
the unending caress of my Beloved!"
-- Guru Kabir

 

 

Let them try to imprison Him in temple, mosque and church!
The seeing eye finds the Beloved's signs in every mote.

Very near your heart are seekers of your Vision;
Those who look at the surface are exiled from
the Beloved's Light.
What can I say of the grace He showers on me within?
Darshan, the moment I close my eyes, the Beloved's
Light begins.
-- Sant Darshan Singh, Love's Last Madness, Hohm Press

 

 

Begin meditation with internally chanting or repeating the

Guru-mantra-incantation (the charged words given by the Guru).

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 or the Til Dwaar, 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, welfare, or liberation.
-- Couplets of Swami Sant Sevi Ji Maharaj

 

 

The Glittering Point between the two eyebrows [third eye center] is visible,
Dear ones! Closing your eyelids, try to see,
Let the two currents of Light converge at the Central Point of the eyebrows,
Fix your gaze and cross your bodily sphere and enter the egg of the universe;
The inner Sky, studded with Stars, looks so wonderful,
Light, like the earthen lamp, is visible that eliminates the darkness of the closed eyes,
The incomparable Moonlight, unique in itself is spread in all corners;
And the Light of the young Sun also radiates beautifully,
Surat [soul], with its spiritual vision, catches the multiple Sounds without being impaired,
O individual souls! Catching these Sounds with Surat-like rope,
Walk along the final abode, which is the Real Home;
Mehi has revealed this mystery, the Quintessential One,
One, who serves Guru without any guile, has no difficulty in reaching the Real Home.

Without gazing downward, upward, leftward, rightward or backward,
Look ahead, closing both your eyes and joining the two currents exactly in the middle of the two eyes [third eye],
Immersing yourself in the blaze of the Shining Star and watching the scenes of the Sphere of Light,
Fly in the inner firmament like a bird, and perching there on the Luminous Point,
Catch the Quintessential Sound among the multiple sounds and glide like a fish,
O mind! Flying like the bird and swimming like the fish,
Your mind is absorbed in its own sphere,
Surat alone mounts on the Egg of Brahma,
Finally, catching the Ceaseless Primal Sound, Surat [the soul] listens to it,
The Sound of Creation enrapturing is so very intense,
Mehi says, with the help of the Central Sound (Naad) in the lower sphere,
Catch the Central Sounds of the higher spheres and finally grip the Quintessential One,
Thus grasping the Sound, that is, the Quintessential One, cross this sea-like world.
-- The Padavali of Maharishi Mehi Paramahansa Ji Maharaj

 

 

It does not matter if your bhakti is imperfect.
Perform bhakti! Radhasoami [the Lord of the Soul]
graciously declares that you should perform bhakti
in whichever way you can. Fear not. He will grant
you the Treasure of Love. You will be a recipient
of the Gift of Love.
-- Swami Ji Maharaj, Sar Bachan Radhasoami Poetry, Vol 2

 

 

I penetrated the Eye Center and perceived
the Light within.
Darkness has vanished,
And the sun has burst forth
in full splendor.

So long as the soul knows not itself,
The brilliance of the sun cannot be seen.

Says Tuka, I see my true self and the Lord
Pervade the whole creation as one effulgence.
-- Sant Tukarama

 

 

INNER EXPERIENCE - THE DOOR WITHIN

Through the Eye, my vision has risen to
Daswandwar,
And my soul has cast off its coverings.

Firmly established at the Tenth Door,
I adore my Master's Radiant Form,
which I recognize by His grace.

The bubble of illusion has been pricked,
The Almighty, Merciful Lord has revealed
Himself.

In the blissful state of fulfillment,
Tuka, without hands, clings to His feet.
-- Sant Tukarama

 

 

THE SOUND CURRENT, MUSIC OF THE CREATOR

Tuka is absorbed in the surging wave
of Sound Divine;
Its resplendence spreads through his
innermost being.
The Lord has made His home in me,
The lamp of eternal Light has been
kindled.
The all-pervading Sound, O Tuka, is
the Lord Himself.
-- Sant Tukarama

 

 

Such is the peculiar efficacy
of the Path of Love and Devotion
that if you adopt it,it will
transport you to the Reservoir
of Ambrosia. In the Source or
Fountain, i.e., in Radhaswami
Dham [the Eighth Heaven], there
is absolutely no trace of maya
[illusion]. There it is all love
and love alone. It is an immense
Reservoir of Love, having no
beginning and no end.
-- Swami Ji Maharaj, Sar Bachan Radhasoami Poetry, Vol I

 

 

Can one be entangled in the mire of
Illusion
When the Name of the Lord is constantly
on his lips?

One who ceaselessly meditates on Him,
While walking, talking, eating or sleeping,
While engaged in worldly duties,
The Lord is with him at all times.

Repeat constantly the Name of the Lord,
And know that devotion is indispensable
for deliverance.
Thus the devotee becomes the Lord
Himself,
And thus has the Lord become Tuka.

Such is God's Name
that it heals the disease of the world.
Whosoever repeats the Lord's Name
while engaged in earthly duties,
remains ever in a blissful state of divine communion.
One absorbed in the Lord's Name, O Tuka,
has truly attained liberation while living.
-- Sant Tukarama

 

 

Recognize the Path to your Beloved, O travelers
and take the route of the anguished lover in separation.

Keep the Master's grace in your thoughts,
and reflect on his pure teachings.

Develop love and devotion with endearment,
and keep the thought of the Creator always before you.

Try to merge yourself into God like water in water.

Fix your mind within by following the Path of the Sound Current.

A yearning will arise; make then an intense and anguished call.

Repeat the Name of your Beloved,
day and night,
again and again.

With care in thought, word and deed,
you will cross to the other shore.
-- Sant Dadu Dayal (the Compassionate Mystic)

 

 

The lover is converted into the Beloved.
That indeed is called true love.
Forgetting his own ego, he remains
absorbed in the One.
-- Sant Dadu Dayal (the Compassionate Mystic)

Oh think thou deeply and deliberate;
Without the guidance of a Master
The way cannot ever be found.
He will dye thee in satsang's color,
Take thy soul to regions celestial,
And reveal the firmament within.
If thou desirest, to revel
In realms spiritual within thine own self,
None will help thee except the Saints.
In a short moment wilt thou depart,
And thy body be reduced to dust.
Thy Master alone, 0 Tulsi, will show
The entrance back to thy Home.
-- Param Sant Tulsi Sahib

 

 

Whose soul is attached to the Word,
revels ever in cosmic flight;
Revels ever in cosmic flight,
and realizing the Lord,
plays with Him.
The mystery of the Inaccessible
and the secret of the scriptures he unravels:
He reaches his Home within and its Essence
he comes to know;
In the lotus feet of the Beloved
he sees his true destination.
The happily married woman
rejoices with her Spouse every moment, O Tulsi,
For her soul is attached to the Word,
and revels ever in cosmic flight.
-- Param Sant Tulsi Sahib

 

 

See: https://www.spiritualawakeningradio.com/2022/01/06/the-yoga-of-love
 

and: https://www.spiritualawakeningradio.com/2022/01/06/the-soul-of-love

 

 

From the beginning of my life
I have been looking for your face
but today I have seen it

Today I have seen
the charm, the beauty,
the unfathomable grace
of the face
that I was looking for

Today I have found you
and those who laughed
and scorned me yesterday
are sorry that they were not looking
as I did

I am bewildered by the magnificence
of your beauty
and wish to see you
with a hundred eyes

My heart has burned with passion
and has searched forever
for this wondrous beauty
that I now behold

I am ashamed
to call this love human
and afraid of God
to call it divine

Your fragrant breath
like the morning breeze
has come to the stillness of the garden
You have breathed new life into me
I have become your sunshine
and also your shadow

My soul is screaming in ecstasy
Every fiber of my being
is in love with you

Your effulgence
has lit a fire in my heart
and made radiant for me
the earth and sky

My arrow of love
has arrived at the target
I am in the house of mercy
and my heart
is a place of prayer.
-- Rumi