Hinduism and the Classic Nirguna Bhakti Sants of India, Part One

Hinduism and the Classic Nirguna Bhakti Sants of India, Part One

Also see my earlier post on the Sants and Sikh Gurus:

A Sikh Sant Mat Connection Truly Commences With Baba Jaimal Singh (not with the guru of Sant Tulsi Sahib):

https://medium.com/sant-mat-meditation-and-spirituality/a-sikh-sant-mat-connection-truly-commences-with-baba-jaimal-singh-by-james-bean-8b8ab376de78?sharedUserId=santmat

This is a study to provide unorthodox references from various Sants showing they redefined various traditional divine names, including Krishna, to refer to a Formless Supreme Being "stripped of mythological, avataric, and anthropomorphic attributes."

Redefining Divine Names in Nirguna Bhakti Poetry

A Study of How Classical Indian Sants Reinterpreted Ram, Krishna, Hari, and Allah as Formless Reality

Reference & Study Guide Bhakti Movement Literature 

Core Thesis & Conceptual Framework

During the Bhakti Movement in medieval India, poet-saints of the Nirguna (formless) tradition-including Kabir, Ravidas, Dadu Dayal, and Guru Nanak-frequently used traditional and conventional names of God (such as Ram, Krishna, Hari, Govind, Madhav, Allah, and Khuda). However, they deliberately stripped these titles of their mythological, avataric, and anthropomorphic attributes. 

* From Saguna to Nirguna: Names associated with personal deities or mythological figures were redefined to refer exclusively to Nirguna Brahman the all-pervading, transcendent, and unmanifest Supreme Consciousness dwelling within every human heart. 

* Universal Syncretism: By using Hindu and Islamic terms interchangeably for the same formless reality, the Sants demonstrated that ultimate reality transcends sectarian and ritual boundaries. 

* Focus on Inner Sound (Naam): Spiritual practice was shifted from idol worship and external pilgrimage to internal contemplation on the Divine Name/Current (Simran / Naam Japna). 

1. Sant Kabir

Kabir consistently addresses the distinction between conventional mythological deities and the transcendent formless reality.  Re-defining Ram

कबीर राम कहन महि भेदु है ता महि एकु बिचारु ॥

ਏਕੁ ਅਨੇਕਹਿ ਮਿਲਿ ਗਇਆ ਏਕ ਸਮਾਨਾ ਏਕ ॥

"Kabir says: There is a vital distinction in how people speak the name 'Ram'; consider this carefully. One 'Ram' refers to a historical figure bound in worldly acts, while the other Ram is the One all-pervading Reality that enters and fills all things."

GURU GRANTH SAHIB, ANG 1374 

Transcending Allah and Ram

अलह राम जीऊ तेरे नाई ॥

सब महि एकु खोजि सब ठाई ॥

"O God! Whether called Allah or Ram, I live by Your Name. Seek the One Lord within everyone, and in every place; do not divide Him into Hindu or Muslim forms."

GURU GRANTH SAHIB, ANG 1349 

2. Sant Ravidas (Raidas)

Sant Ravidas made extensive use of traditional Vaishnava titles including epithets specifically associated with Krishna -and reinterpreted them to describe the non-dual, formless Supreme Light. 

Re-defining Madhav (Epithet of Krishna)

माधवे किया कहीऐ भ्रमु ऐसा ॥ जैसा मानीऐ होइ न तैसा ॥

माधो अविद्या हित कीन ॥ बिबेक दीप मलीन ॥

"O Madhav, what can I say about this illusion? Reality is not as it appears to human perception. O Madhav, attached to ignorance, the lamp of human wisdom has grown dim."

GURU GRANTH SAHIB, ANG 657/RAAG GAURI 

Re-defining Mukund (The Liberator / Name of Krishna)

मुकुंद मुकुंद जपहु संसार ॥ बिनु मुकुंद तन होइ छार ॥

सोई मुकुंदु मुकति का दाता ॥ सोई मुकुंदु हमरा पित माता ॥

"Chant the name of Mukund, O world! Without Mukund, the physical body reduces to mere ashes. That very Mukund is the Giver of liberation; that very Mukund is my spiritual Mother and Father."

GURU GRANTH SAHIB, ANG 875/RAAG GOND 

Re-defining Keshava & Banwari (Forest-Dweller / Krishna)

ऐसा धिआन धरहु बनवारी ॥ मन पवन ग्रिड्रह सुखमन नारी ॥

"Fix your meditation on Banwari in such a way that your wandering mind and breath become steady within the central channel (Sukhmana)."

SANT RAVIDAS VANI/AMRITBANI  जाउ तुम कारनि केसवे अंतरि लिव लागी ॥

"O Keshava, for Your sake alone, my inner consciousness has locked in absorbed devotion (Liv)."

GURU GRANTH SAHIB, ANG 694 

Re-defining Gopal & Govind (The Cowherd Names)

मेरी प्रीति गोबिंद सिउ जिन घटै ॥ मै तउ मोल लीन्हि छवि छूटै ॥

"May my love for Govind never decrease! I have purchased Him at the price of my soul; how could this bond ever break?"

GURU GRANTH SAHIB, ANG 484/RAAG AASA  ऐसी लाल तुझ बिनु कउनु करै ॥ गरीब निवाजु गुसाईआ मेरो माथै छत्रु धरै ॥

गोबिंदु सभु कोहै कहै रविदासु चमारु ॥

"O Beloved, who else except You could perform such an act? My Lord is the Patron of the poor; He places the royal canopy over my head. Thus speaks Ravidas the leather-worker: through this formless Govind, all are liberated."

GURU GRANTH SAHIB, ANG 1106/RAAG MARU 

3. Sant Dadu Dayal

Founder of the Dadu Panth in Rajasthan, Dadu Dayal explicitly synthesized Hindu and Islamic terminology into his concept of Satya Ram (True Ram). 

On Allah, Ram, and Khuda

दादू अलह राम दूजा नहीं, सोई साइं सोई साहिब मेरा।

"Dadu says: Allah and Ram are not two separate entities; He is the exact same Lord, the exact same Sovereign Master. Do not wander looking for a body; the true Master is the formless Spirit within."

DADU ANUBHAV VANI 

On Krishna & Govind as Inner Light

गोविंद गोबिंद सब कहें, गोबिंद घट ही माहि।

"Everyone repeats the name 'Govind', but few realize that Govind dwells right inside the vessel of the human body. He is not a cowherd of Gokul, but the Eternal Supreme Light."

DADU SAKHI 

4. Guru Nanak Dev Ji

Guru Nanak frequently invoked names like Hari, Govind, and Allah while establishing that the Supreme Being is Akal Purakh (Timeless Being) and Ik Onkar (One Formless Light). 

On Ram as All-Pervading Consciousness

राम राम सभु को कहै कहिये रामु न होइ ॥

गुर परसादी रामु मनि वसै ता फलु पावै कोइ ॥

"Everyone chants 'Ram, Ram', but merely saying the name does not reveal Him. Only when, by the Guru's grace, that formless Ram comes to dwell within the heart does one realize the divine truth."

GURU GRANTH SAHIB, ANG 491 

Summary: Hermeneutic Shift in Sant Literature 

* Not the Prince of Ayodhya: Sants explicitly state that their Ram is not the son of Dasharatha or a king bound to history, but the attribute-less reality (Nirgun Brahman). 

* Not the Cowherd of Gokul: Names such as Krishna, Madhav, Govind, Keshava, or Banwari are stripped of physical attributes (e.g., flute, peacock feather, physical form) and transformed into symbols for the Inner Lord and the meditative sound-current (Naam). 

* Transcending Sectarian Bounds: Names like Allah, Khuda, and Rab are used alongside Ram and Hari to demonstrate that God is undivided by religious dogmas, mosques, or temples. 

* Socio-Spiritual Liberation: By shifting divine presence into the internal experience accessible through Simran (remembrance), the Nirguna Sants dismantled social and caste hierarchies, declaring that the Formless God resides equally within every human being. 

Compiled for study and textual research on Nirguna Bhakti & Sant Mat Literature.

How to Join one of the top Gnostic hangouts on the web.

 How to Join one of the top Gnostic hangouts on the web.

It's a forum called Gnostic Gospels. I'm a mod there. To join it, one needs to be a member of Discord. If you don't have a Discord profile already, create one at Discord: https://discord.com

Then, to find the Gnostic Gospels group, go to DisBOARD, a kind of search engine for Discord groups: https://disboard.org

Type in "Gnostic" and you'll see the Gnostic Gospels group associated with the pink image with a gnostic cross.

When joining, answer the five questions. I helped write those. It helps filter out spammers, as the group only seeks new members who are into gnosticism, spirituality, mysticism, etc...

Gnostic Gospels is dedicated to the study and practice of books missing from the Bible. Join our community of heretics, mystics, and other spiritual wayfarers in our discussion of ancient texts!

Explore lost Gospels like Thomas, Nag Hammadi, the Apocrypha, and more!

Our focus centers squarely on scripture and the spiritual insights offered by extra-canonical sources. Become a "heretic" today!

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Gnostic Rumi

 Gnostic Rumi

In Islamic and Sufi terminology, these terms translate: Gnosis: Ma’rifat (divine, experiential knowledge of God).  Gnostic: ‘Ārif (the mystic knower who possesses this inner, direct vision). 

"The fall of man is the result of the blinding of the 'eye of the heart' (chashm-i dil), which alone sees with the vision of gnosis." — Rumi, Masnavi, Book V (scholarly rendering by William C. Chittick / R.A. Nicholson)

"Gnosis is not attained through arguments or books, but when the flame of Love blazes up and consumes everything except the Beloved."  — Rumi, Masnavi, Book V  

"The gnostic [mystic knower] transcends all relations of 'otherness'; he sees only the One, sitting on his own roof while looking upon all roofs."  — Rumi, Masnavi, Book IV (trans. R.A. Nicholson) 

"The gnostic's prayer is not made of words or ritual forms, but of silent contemplation and the surrender of the heart. To the gnostic, the carpet of the universe is flipped open, and every breath is praise."  — Fihi Ma Fihi (Discourses of Rumi)

"That laughter remained with him as an endowment unto everlasting, like the untroubled spirit and reason of the gnostic [‘ārif]. How should the light of the moon ever become defiled, though its light strike on everything good and evil?"  — Rumi, Masnavi, Book I (trans. R.A. Nicholson) 

"Observing spiritual courtesy (adab) is to the gnostic what repentance is to the novice seeker."  — Rumi, Masnavi, Commentary & Prose Selections (quoting classical Sufi definitions of the ‘Ārif) 

"Discursive knowledge (‘ilm*) is a burden on the body; gnosis (ma’rifat) is the lifting of the heart. Knowledge acquired by the senses is a shadow; true gnosis is the Sun itself."*

— Rumi, Masnavi, Book I

A Sikh Sant Mat Connection Truly Commences With Baba Jaimal Singh, by James Bean

A Sikh Sant Mat Connection Truly Commences With Baba Jaimal Singh, by James Bean

“Soamiji Maharaj, the first guru of Radhasoami Faith, was born on 25th, August 1818, in a Khatri family, residing in Panni Gali, Agra and His worldly name was Shri Shiv Dayal Singh Ji.” Pipal Mandi Hazuri Bhawan website (and based on the Biography of Soamiji Maharaj): https://www.radhasoamisatsang.org/pppdsoamiji

“His father, Lala Dilwali Singh (a Sahejdhari Khatri Sikh, belonging to the order of Nanak Panthis), was devotedly attached to Jap Ji, Raho Ras and Sukhmani (Sikh scriptures), which he read from day to day with great religious fervor and deep reverence.” (A Great Saint Baba Jaimal Singh His Life and Teachings, By Kirpal Singh, page 8)

Swami Ji however, though on record for being fond of the teachings of Guru Nanak and the Adi Granth, is not depicted as wearing a turban or having a “Sikh” appearance. Khati Sikhs are not a mainstream Sikh sect. Non-initiated Sehajdhari Khatri Sikhs adhered to Sikh spiritual teachings without adopting the outward physical emblems of the Khalsa.

On the Sahej Dhari Khatri Sikhs: “Sahaj-Dharis are a sect of Sikhs who differ from other Sikhs in their observance of religious practices. Unlike Kes-Dhari Sikhs, Sahaj-Dharis do not wear uncut hair and may reject other injunctions of the Rahit, the Sikh code of conduct. They also do not adopt typical Sikh personal names.

“Historically, Tat Khalsa scholars believed “sahaj-dhari” meant “slow-adopter,” suggesting a path to full Khalsa membership. However, it is more likely derived from Guru Nanak’s use of “sahaj,” signifying the soul’s liberation. This group often includes members of higher castes who may not observe the Rahit to maintain their social status. The exact number of Sahaj-Dharis is difficult to determine, as some families may only initiate their eldest son as Sikh, leaving others to identify as Hindu or Sikh. They emphasize a special regard for Guru Nanak and his teachings.” Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Sahaj-Dhari#:~:text=Unlike%20Kes%2DDhari%20Sikhs%2C%20Sahaj%2DDharis%20do%20not%20wear,use%20of%20%22sahaj%2C%22%20signifying%20the%20soul's%20liberation.

Those folks were rather distant from the Sikh world and its traditions and fundamentalisms, reminding me of the relationship between the Unitarians and Christianity.

Furthermore, Soamiji and his family became followers of Sant Tulsi Sahib of Hathras, became initiates of Sant Mat.

Tulsi Sahib was not Sikh. There’s absolutely nothing “Sikh” about Tulsi Sahib. He had no associations with Sikhism or Sikh gurus (assuming there were some) and did not often quote the Adi Granth in his writings. Granth quotes are sparse in the teachings of Sant Tulsi Sahib of Hathras. As I’ve traced the Sant Mat guru lineage, before Tulsi Sahib was Sant Dariya Sahib of Bihar from a Dharamdasi region of Bihar District and earlier Sant Dharam Das gurus don’t seem to have any association or background with Sikhism or Sikh gurus. Not near the Punjab. Few “Singh’s" but scores and scores and scores of “Das’s”.

So other than Soamiji, family members and associates being fond of the verses of Guru Nanak and those other four earlier Sikh gurus who were the major contributors to the Adi Granth, WHERE DO turban wearing gurus with Sikh ethnic backgrounds dressed in white attire appear in Sant Mat? With Baba Jaimal Singh, one of the three prominent disciples and successors of Soami Ji Maharaj.

“It was in 1838 that Baba Jaimal Singh was born in the village of Ghuman in the Gurdaspur District of the Punjab, to a family of pious Sikh cultivators.” (A Great Saint Baba Jaimal Singh, His Life and Teachings, page 21). As the biography documents it was Baba Jaimal Singh who became mainly interested in the spirituality and mysticism described in the Sikh scriptures, and this quest eventually lead him to the door of Soamiji Maharaj in order to be initiated into the mysteries of Naam by a living teacher. See, the biography of Baba Jaimal Singh: https://www.ruhanisatsangusa.org/pdf/Baba%20Jaimal%20Singh%20-%20Kirpal%20Singh.pdf

“One of the great spiritual biographies in the history of Sant Mat and Radhasoami literature written by the late Kirpal Singh. It tells of the fascinating story of a young Sikh boy, Jaimal Singh, who goes on a quest to find an enlightened master who can reveal the secret of the Five Melodies as mentioned in the Guru Granth Sahib. Baba Jaimal Singh meets many yogis and sages in his quest to unravel the mystery of the Inner Sound Current.” For more, there’s the audio book, Baba Jaimal Singh and His Quest for the Secret of the Sound Current. A Biography: https://youtu.be/Hz60EVTkcuw?si=rTbzi3VwOJY2jPVG

It’s with the successors and offshoots of Baba Jaimal Singh that we get a lot of gurus and followers with Sikh backgrounds, wearing turbans, etc… In addition to Hazur Baba Sawan Singh and successors I’m also including here the Tarn Taran gurus and the many Radhasoami satsangs that, though not as well-known in the west, are legion and have also branched out all over India and around the world.

Baba Bagga Singh: https://rstt.org.in/satgurus/baba-bagga-singh-ji.php#:~:text=As%20he%20grew%20older%2C%20Baba%20Bagga%20Singh,his%20colleagues%20by%20Baba%20Jaimal%20Singh%20Ji.

More on Baba Bagga Singh of the Tarn Taran Radhasoami Satsang: https://rstt.org.in/history.php#:~:text=He%20left%20for%20his%20heavenly%20abode%20on,Soami%20Dera%20Baba%20Bagga%20Singh%2C%20Tarn%20Taran.

The August Sant Mat Spiritual Retreat! Also, Selections from the Bodh Sagar (of the Kabir Sagar Corpus, Where the Anurag Sagar Comes From)

The August Sant Mat Spiritual Retreat! Also, Selections from the Bodh Sagar (of the Kabir Sagar Corpus, Where the Anurag Sagar Comes From)

As Baba Ram Singh said during the previous spiritual retreat in January of 2026:

"We should listen to Satsang every day. We should do our Bhajan Simran [meditation] every day and develop that love and affection [bhakti]. It is important for us to create that vessel to receive the Grace of the Master. The Master is sitting within you, and when He sees you are making your efforts, He sees your love and affection, then His hand of Grace is showered upon you. And He helps you, not only in this world in worldly matters, but also, in spirituality and within.

"The life that has been given to us is very uncertain and short. And we don’t know that the breath we are taking, whether we are going to be able to leave that breath, or we will cease to exist. Therefore, we should always remember the purpose for which we have come into this world and that we have been given this human life. And we should work towards that." 

There's a new collection of Satsang videos available via Youtube. These have English translations provided. You can locate them here: 

https://www.youtube.com/@Babaramsinghjiguddelaashram/streams

The same videos, with slightly different editing, microphones and camera angles, are also to be found here:

https://www.youtube.com/@som-ajaib-kripaashramoffic4233/streams

Note. The very last satsang video of the recent retreat however is only found at one of the channels: August 10th 2026 Bhandara Satsang Hindi To English Translation, 9:30am:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8SyxlEzLo0&t=95s

How rare in this world to find such in-depth Sant Mat teachings preserved in a living Sant Mat community still faithful to traditional unedited Sant Mat as we find it in the pages of the Sar Bachan Poetry (Bhajans) of Swami Ji Maharaj, the Anurag Sagar, and in the letters of Hazur Baba Sawan Singh!

"The inner Light does not come or go. It is always there within. It appears only when we are attuned and concentrated and disappears as soon as there is the slightest dispersion. The Light will not vanish if you just keep your inner gaze constantly fixed." (Kirpal Singh)

"Another common misconception is that prophets, saints and mystics search for 'new' truth. Rather, what they do is to simply remove the layers of dirt -- of accumulated misinterpretations -- that have corrupted the truth. Then the Living Teacher will bring forth the very same truth in a new light. The original truth must repeatedly be presented to suit the current age." (Swami Sant Sevi Ji Maharaj)

Selections from the Bodh Sagar (of the Kabir Sagar Collection, the Same Manuscript Containing the Anurag Sagar That Santji Recommended)

Dharmadas (Sant Dharam Das), live in the world like a lotus flower in water—

rooted in the mud below, yet untouched, blooming purely above the surface.

Perform your worldly duties with honesty and detachment,

but keep the inner altar of your heart dedicated solely to the Shabd.

Let your speech be gentle, truthful, and free from malice.

Treat all living beings with compassion, for the same divine spark resides within all.

Do not harbor hatred, pride, or greed, for these are the strongholds of Kal.

Meditate daily upon the True Name imparted by the Satguru;

turn your attention inward whenever the body is at rest.

He who lives in this manner breaks all karmic ties while still alive—

and at the time of departure, the Satguru Himself comes to guide that soul home. (Bodh Sagar of Kabir)

KABIR SAHIB SPEAKS (DOHA)

He who searches outside wanders in a desert of illusions;

he who searches within finds the Lord seated upon the throne of the heart.

Section 4: The Inner Stages and Subtle Realms

Kabir Sahib Speaks (Chaupai):

Listen, O Dharmani [Sant Dharam Das], as I describe the inner journey of the soul:

Beyond the realm of gross matter lie the subtle inner spheres.

As the attention gathers at the inner center, the first lights appear,

and the soul begins to hear the distant music of the Unstruck Sound.

First, the soul enters the realm of Sahasdal Kamal (the Thousand-Petaled Lotus),

where the ruler of the physical and astral worlds holds sway.

Here, dazzling lights and miraculous powers tempt the seeker;

many yogis and ascetics stop at this station, mistaking it for the Ultimate.

Passing beyond, the soul ascends through Trikuti (the Causal Realm),

the source of the mind and the origin of the three gunas (sattva, rajas, tamas).

Here, the subtle seeds of past karma reside.

To cross this region, the soul must cast off its mental sheath,

becoming free from the dictates of the mind and ego.

Kabir Sahib Speaks (Chaupai):

Listen, Dharmani, as I reveal the glory of Sat Lok:

It is the self-luminous domain of Sat Purush, where suffering and change cannot enter.

There, millions of suns and moons pale before the brilliance of a single soul,

yet that light is cool, soothing, and infinite in peace.

In that abode, no physical elements exist—neither earth, water, fire, air, nor sky.

Time (Kal) has no dominion there, nor do death, disease, or aging exist.

The souls reside in eternal youth and joy, drinking the pure nectar of immortality,

forever immersed in the blissful presence of the Supreme Father.

Upon reaching Sat Lok, the soul merges into Sat Purush like a drop returning to the ocean.

Yet, in that merging, it experiences total awareness, total love, and ultimate liberation.

It realizes: "What I sought across countless ages was never separate from me."

The Beginning of Spiritual Practice: Simran, the Repetition of Sacred Divine Names, by Baba Ram Singh (Sant Mat)

The Beginning of Spiritual Practice: Simran, the Repetition of Sacred Divine Names, by Baba Ram Singh

Simran: Repetition of names or thoughts; in Sant Mat, the simran [remembrance] of worldly thoughts is controlled through the Simran of the Five Charged Names, repeated by an initiate throughout the day and when sitting for meditation as a means of collecting the thought currents at the Third Eye Center; also used as a password of sorts to higher planes and protection from Negative Power influences. (from the 2023 Sant Mat Glossary of terms)

Baba Ram Singh: We should make good use of our time... All the Saints have sung praises of Simran, and it is very important that we perfect our Simran. Because as long as we are not able to perfect our Simran, the rest of our Path doesn't open up.

We should try to perfect our Simran all the time. We should always be at it. When we are walking or doing other things, when we are sitting idle, we should try to focus on our Simran and perfect our Simran. Because we get a lot of time like that, which is otherwise wasted. So, we should try to perfect Simran at that time.

When you continuously do your Simran, initially, we do Simran with our tongue. But as we perfect our Simran, and it becomes a very regular activity — our mind starts doing that Simran. Then the mind continuously does the Simran.

When we attain that state — where the mind is doing the Simran — then our Path opens up, and we see that we are withdrawing within.

So, we should focus while doing our meditation. We should focus on our Simran. If we are not able to get the contemplation of our Master, it doesn't matter. You should focus on all the Words of the Simran and pay attention to the Simran and keep doing that.

We should not worry that we are not getting the contemplation of our Master. We must realize that the Master is always within us. In the form of the Holy Sound Current, He is always with us — from the time that our Master has initiated us. He is not far away. Only we need the purity of our mind and our contemplation. When we, with our Simran, develop that purity of contemplation, purity of our mind, He is not far away. He will immediately be visible to us. (Baba Ram Singh, January 2026 Satsang Discourses Booklet)

The Gnostics -- Where Are They Now? by James Bean

 

The Gnostics -- Where Are They Now? by James Bean

At the Gnostic Gospels Discord forum someone asked this question: "In this very day and age, are there new Gnostic gospels/scriptures/writing active produced? I think that gnosticism, like all religions, should evolve and there should be constantly new texts to express the gnostic experience."

My Replies: Yes, this is correct. An exciting and hopeful topic really. Gnosticism never went away, it traveled east, beyond the oppressive reach of the Roman Empire. New texts kept on being produced by living schools of spirituality, and this remains true right up to the living present.

Note. And by this I don't mean the gnostic hijackers out there abusing the term gnosticism, repurposing the term to mean new things unrelated to classic gnosticism but that are related to magic, other forms of spiritual materialism, incompatible systems of esoterica, manipulation, cults, conspirituality and so on. The Matrix metaphors are another example of an unfortunate reappropriation, where "taking the red pill" nowadays means being sold some new con-spiracy theory or new agey thing falsely rebranded as gnostic, so I've mostly given up on Matrix references in connection with gnosticism due to this hijacking.

The repurposing of the word gnostic is a modern-day plague of the blogosphere and Youtube world. But I agree with M. David Litwa that we should not give up on the word "gnostic" but reclaim it from the abusers, and reclaim it from church father propaganda as well.

But...back to your important question. The key is recognizing gnostic mystical systems that came later under other names such as Manichaeanism, Cathars, Kabbalah, certain Sufi Orders, and other living schools associated with Mystics of the East (Sant Mat, Radhasoami). There are indeed cousin schools of mysticism embodying the same basic "operating system", if you will, as those Gnostics of Alexandria. Some of these great grandchildren of Gnosticism even have published books quoting early Gnostic texts happy to acknowledge the universality of their teachings and spiritual practices... initiation into meditation and inner experience (gnosis).

Gnosticism, including a rich spiritual heritage of gnostic compatible literature did continue -- never ceased. As I've sometimes joked with people, the last gnostic text was published last Tuesday.

“Theologians may quarrel, but the mystics of the world speak the same language.” ― Meister Eckhart

"The lamps are different, but the Light is the same: it comes from Beyond. If thou keep looking at the lamp, thou art lost: for thence arises the appearance of numbers and plurality. Fix thy gaze upon the Light, and thou art delivered from the dualism inherent in the finite body." (Rumi, Masnavi, Book III)

"I am neither Christian, nor Jew, nor Muslim, nor Hindu, Buddhist, sufi, or zen. I belong to no religion or cultural system. I am not from the East or the West, not out of the ocean or up from the ground, not natural or ethereal, not composed of elements at all... I belong to The Beloved, have seen the two worlds as one and that one call to and know, first, last, outer, inner, only that breath breathing human being." (Rumi, Only Breath)

"He received the gnosis of the mysteries... that had been entrusted to the righteous before him." (on Mani, Cologne Mani Codex)

"Previously the religion was announced in many places and in many languages through Buddhas, through Jesus, and through other messengers." (Mani, Shabuhragan, a Middle Persian Manichaean scripture)

"Wisdom and the deeds of the Buddha, and the righteousness of Jesus the Splendour, and the mysteries and the images of the Light, and the true knowledge (gnosis) were revealed through the Apostle." (Kephalaia, Manichaean scripture)

"From age to age the apostles of God have brought the truth. At one time they came through the Buddha in India; at another through Zarathustra in Persia; at another through Jesus in the West. Finally this revelation came through me, Mani, the Apostle of the True God." (Kephalaia)

"That I may redeem you from death and annihilation, I will give you what you have not seen with the eye nor heard with the ears nor grasped with the hand." (Turfan fragments, translated in Gnosis on the Silk Road)

They raved in the passion of anger;

they lacked sense or coherent thought

and you assembled their thoughts,

and so they understood their origin

in the Realm of Light.

Those living beings in the five states of existence

you freed from ignorance

and gave them wisdom,

leading them to pari-nirvana....

Unendingly submerged in the dust

of forgetting rebirths

and in a state of poisonous savage animals,

they were always mad.

When the passion of greed poisoned them

and they were dying,

you prepared a medicine for them

from the herb of meditation.

-- The Great Song to Mani, Gnosis on the Silk Road

"By considering the Self one becomes a Gnostic; realising the self (to be) God (SOHAM), he comes to be satisfied in the Mystery through the Word... When a disciple realises the Self, what else is he to do or have done (for him)? He who has obtained the Treasure through love fixes (his) mind on God's feet. Night and day become pleasant (once) egoism is dispelled; I got rid of the heart's infatuation when I pleased Him; (now, Lord), graciously come into (my) house!

"Happiness is not for those who make many friends in the world; it is those who keep the mind on the One who ever enjoy happiness."  (Sikh scriptures, Gospel of the Guru-Granth Sahib: https://archive.org/details/in.gov.ignca.1918/page/146/mode/2up?q=gnostic )

Without Satsang, Maya (Illusion) Does Not Release

Without Satsang, Maya (Illusion) Does Not Release

In the world of spiritual paths we have many examples of moral talks or people cobbling together some sort of spiritual presentation of religious information. In Sant Mat however, a genuine spiritual master cuts through the illusion and has the goal of presenting satsang discourses. These solely address the eternal divine truths and realities. The goal is always to motivate the initiates, the disciple satsangis to follow the meditation practice and make spiritual progress during this life. These discourses always have much depth, are mindful of the long tradition of Sants in India, and test positive for Sant Mat content.

"If we listen to Satsang, Satsang bears its colors. There is great power in Satsang. If we listen to Satsang with love and affection, then many of our sins are cut. Our load becomes light. Our sins fall away. Satsang is a very lofty thing. But after listening to Satsang, act on it, meditate on it first. Think about it. And keep it within. Then see how much change comes within you. Your conduct, thoughts, behavior, all will change. One will become a human-divine being. One will become a human Mahatma. They say, brother, that Satsang is no small thing that the Sants speak of. They are telling the matter of their own experience. They say, in our heart, when there is samskara, then in the hearts of such devotees Satsang strikes. And he will act on it. And his being is transformed." (Baba Ram Singh)

The satsang discourses of Baba Ram Singh are always wonderful and test positive for the depths of Sant Mat spirituality. Below is excerpted from a recently translated satsang from Scott Gaul's very fine seva project to make available in English more of Baba Ram Singh's satsang discourses via his Radhaswami Talks blog, which I highly recommend. See the link to the entire satsang below.

An excerpt from a recent satsang titled, Without Satsang, Maya Does Not Release

What can be read and spoken, that is called akshar (letters). But the Sants say, the Naam which the Sants and Mahatmas give is not contained in these letters. It is not within the fifty-two letters of the alphabet, not within the seven crore mantras. So a doubt can arise in us: when it is not letters at all, then how do the Sants give it? Because on the day of Naamdaan, they say, first the Simran of the five names is given, and that too is made of letters. That too can be written, read, spoken; that too is perishable. But when the Guru seats us in Dhyan, going within, between the two eyes, here is the seat of our soul and mind. And that very Shabd is also there, the Shabd which has come from Satlok Sachkhand and rests here. They say, the Guru, going within, joins our soul to the Shabd. And that is what Naamdaan is.

They say, on the day the Guru joins us to the Shabd, He comes to sit within us in the form of Shabd. And from that day the Guru is always with us. Between the two eyes, in the tenth door. That is why, they say, the Sants say: brother, by doing Simran and Bhajan, leave the nine doors and come to the tenth. When your third eye opens, that Naam will manifest, that is, the Shabd will manifest. The Shabd to which the Guru has joined you, which is called Anhad Shabd. There are many kinds of Shabd. There are also Shabds of the lower six chakras, which are called Das Vidh Naad (the ten kinds of sound). These are of twenty kinds. And above the eyes, that is called Anhad Naad.

They say, on attaining which, the mind becomes a little contented. The mind gets a respite to become still. That, they say, is the Anhad Shabd. And after that comes the Sar Shabd. They say, the Sar Shabd, in Parbrahm is the Sar Shabd. And in Satlok Sachkhand is the Sat Shabd. So the Shabd of every region is different. So on the day of Naamdaan, the Guru joins our soul to the Sar Shabd. But at first, when our soul goes within, it is the Anhad Shabd that manifests. That is why Kabir Sahib too has said:

"Jaap dies, ajapa dies, even Anhad dies away.

Without recognizing the Sar Shabd, one wanders again and again."

They say, until that Sar Shabd manifests by the Guru’s grace, the coming and going does not end.

That is why they say, brother, that Naam is a very lofty thing, about which Guru Nanak too has said:

"By Shabd the earth, by Shabd the heavens;

Through Shabd the Shabd blazed into light.

All creation follows in the wake of Shabd;

Nanak, the Shabd abides in every heart."

They say, that very Shabd which has created the whole world, that very Shabd is resounding in our tenth door. And the Guru joins us to that very Shabd. It has come from Satlok Sachkhand and rests here. They say, that very Shabd is what the Sants call Naam. So that Naam is something else, and these mantras and tantras are something else. That is why they say, without Satsang, our delusion does not go away. Because in Satsang the Mahatmas do not speak about the Vedas, Shastras, Puranas, and other scriptures. They explain to us about our own soul. The glory of the Guru, the glory of Naam, the glory of Satsang. They speak about the Lord; that is what is told in all Satsangs.

The purpose of this human body, how precious this human body is, why we have received it, what we were supposed to do with it, what we are doing: all this information is given in Satsang. When we come to know that this human body is very precious, that the Lord has given it for crossing the ocean of birth and death, when we have this knowledge, then we go to the Guru. If we have no knowledge, where would we go? That is why Satsang comes first. It is Satsang in which the knowledge of truth and untruth comes. In which all the information about Naam, about the Guru, about Satsang is received. And about the soul and the Lord too.

https://substack.com/inbox/post/195580478

How Not to Die Vegan Documentary

How Not to Die Vegan Documentary

How Not to Die Vegan Documentary: 

https://youtu.be/R2mevFTWsTM?si=oO6AZDyr0qYFXqpd

https://nutritionfacts.org/video/how-not-to-die-documentary

https://watch.unchainedtv.com/videos/how-not-to-die-2

Nice to see this wonderful vegan documentary film circulating online!

How Not to Die is a bold feature documentary that confronts the greatest threat to human health—our diet. Based on the international bestselling book of the same name, by Dr. Michael Greger, this movie plays like a fast-paced action thriller but is packed with hard-hitting data that just might save your life.

How Not to Die exposes the role of the standard Western diet in fueling today’s most widespread illnesses.

The film offers jaw-dropping, but evidence-based, insights into the prevention of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, kidney disease, liver dysfunction, and a spectrum of brain disorders, including dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. It also addresses how diet influences the development of colon, prostate, and other digestive cancers, delivering life-saving information with clarity and authority.

This is not just another health documentary—this is a call to action from leaders in the field of lifestyle medicine and nutrition science. The cast includes a powerhouse lineup of pioneering physicians and researchers:
Dr. Columbus Batiste, Dr. T. Colin Campbell, Dr. Garth Davis, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, Dr. Michael Greger, Dr. Michael Klaper, Dr. Dean Ornish, Dr. Angie Sadeghi, Dr. Ayesha Sherzai, Dr. Dean Sherzai, and Dr. Kim Williams.

Together, these experts dismantle the myths that keep millions locked in cycles of disease, medication, and medical dependence. They illuminate how a whole food, plant-based diet—rich in fiber, antioxidants, and essential nutrients—can fuel the body’s natural healing mechanisms, restore metabolic health, and drastically reduce the risk of chronic illness.

With a blend of personal narrative, scientific rigor, and cinematic power, How Not to Die is more than a film—it’s a movement. It invites viewers to challenge everything they thought they knew about food, health, and medicine—and to reclaim the power to thrive.

From the visionary director of Earthlings, acclaimed filmmaker Shaun Monson returns to tackle the deadly connection between what we eat and how we live or die. In this groundbreaking film, Monson not only directs but also produces, photographs, and edits, bringing his signature cinematic intensity to a subject that affects every one of us. Monson shares his producing role with Jim Greenbaum and author Dr. Michael Greger.

With Greenbaum, Jay Karandikar, and Kyle Vogt as executive producers, the film brings together some of the world’s top medical experts to deliver a message that is as urgent as it is empowering: many of our most feared chronic diseases are not only preventable—they may also be reversible.