The Traveler of the Inner Subtle Path, by Swami Vyasanand

The Traveler of the Inner Subtle Path, by Swami Vyasanand

Those who are constantly immersed in devotion to the Divine are aligned with the truth. Those souls immersed in the elixir of truth and devotion are known as Sants (variably described as mystics, prophets, and masters). Sants focus on spiritual qualities and are seers of the reality of consciousness; they taste the Divine joy. The path followed by all the Sants and their teachings is given the name “Santmat” (it is also spelled as Sant Mat).

From times immemorial, numerous Sants have appeared on earth. These Sants were born in different countries and social classes; spoke different languages; and were of different gender and ethnicities. However, the underlying principle or the truth of their teachings has always been essentially one. In spite of the variants in their origins, the goal of Sants is one: realization of the Divine and the attainment of the state of absolute joy and peace. Having considered the perennial wisdom found in their teachings, we can say with certainty that the underlying teachings of Sants are essentially in agreement.

The question arises: What is this essential teaching? The answer is: The Divine Reality is one and the path to realize that Reality is within each of us. The path is not found in the nine gates (i.e. through the sensory organs) of the body but only through the tenth gate (the third eye or the spiritual eye). The body cannot tread this path — only the inner consciousness along with the mind, intellect, and ego principle can travel this path. However, during the last and final stages of the inner spiritual path, the conscious soul alone journeys and reaches the Divine. This path is very subtle. Sant Mehi described it as being, “more subtle than even the point of the needle.” Sants unanimously agree that the path to the Divine can be taken up by any human being belonging to any caste, social status, gender, ethnicity or country.

To say that the path to the Divine can only be accessed by individuals with certain specific abilities or aptitudes is against the teachings of the scriptures and Sants. The great sage Veda Vyasa says, “Even a man or woman of lower caste, if they have in their hearts the desire to follow the spiritual path, they will reach the highest states through the path of meditation.” Further, “If an opportunity to receive knowledge from the person of any caste, including the lowest caste, arises, true seekers must accept it with faith. An individual who maintains a firm conviction in the teaching goes beyond the death (also ignorance).”

Many Sants like Sant Tulsi Das, Goswami Lakshminath Paramhans, Sant Kabir, Sahib Surdas Ji, Sant Tukaram Ji, and Shri Maharshi Mehi unanimously pronounce that all human beings — irrespective of gender, age, occupation, and race — have an equal right to follow the inner path to the Divine. This view is verifiable by the fact that many Sants and sages, including Sant Kabir, Sant Ravidas, Sant Garibdas were born in ‘lower castes’ and in the lower strata of their society. Many ancient sages like Vyasa and Narada also have unusual births. Sant Tulsidas emphasizes that physical conditions, including birth in lower caste, poverty, and a lack of bodily beauty do not inhibit the progress of the soul. Sants declare that we are all children of one Supreme Being, God. This Divine Being is all compassionate and generous and does not have preference for any persons on the basis of their birth, class, or gender. However, there are certain disciplines all seekers must follow in order to tread this inner path to realize the Divine.

According to Maharshi Mehi, “There are a number of necessary observances required to tread the spiritual path.”

Observances: Complete faith in one Divine Being, determination to realize the Divine within, service to the guru, satsang (association of the Sants and the study of scriptures), and steadfast meditation. Prohibitions: Use of intoxicants, practice of adultery, lying, violence (causing suffering to other beings, eating the flesh of animals), and stealing.

#SantMat #Sant_Mat #ThePathOfTheMasters #MaharshiMehi #MaharshiMehi #Meditation #Spirituality #SwamiVyasanand #InwardJourneyOfTheSoul #InnerLightAndSound #Bhakti

Die To Live: Meditation -- Living a Spiritual Life -- This Time Through

Die To Live: Meditation -- Living a Spiritual Life -- This Time Through

Die To Live: Meditation

"The Sant Sat Guru, out of His grace, impresses upon all to engender love in the Feet of the Lord, who is all the time present within everyone. He enjoins upon them to proceed inwards by the practices of Surat Shabd Yoga [Inner Light and Sound Meditation], which they should perform, as far as they can, with all sincerity and love in this very life, and thus make it easy to some extent to traverse the path which they will have to tread at the time of death, and thus see things with their own eyes." 

-- Huzur Maharaj Rai Saligram, Prem Patra Radhasoami, Volume One:

https://archive.org/details/PremPatraRadhasoamiPart1/page/n271

Living a Spiritual Life

"No mission is of greater importance to a person than the awareness of his own consciousness, the profound significance and purpose of his existence on earth and to find out the path for ultimate bliss, eternal happiness and cheerfulness i.e. the quest for truth." -- Quote from the Shabd Pratap Ashram website associated with the mission of the younger brother of Soamiji Maharaj: Pratap Singh Ji Seth (Chachaji Maharaj)

This Time Through

Mystic poem by a 16th century Master of the inner Light and Sound by the name of Sant Dadu Dayal of Rajasthan, who outlined the Sant Mat vision of a spiritual life to be pursued during our time here on planet Earth: 

“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.”

#SpiritualSeeking #LifePurpose #Guidance #Spirituality #Meditation #Simran #PathOfTheMasters #ThePathOfTheMasters #Sants #DaduDayal #SantMat #Radhasoami #Radhaswami #SuratShabdYoga #InnerLightAndSound #MeaningOfLife #SpiritualGrowth #SpiritualProgress #Moksha #SpiritualLife #DeathBeforeDying #NDEs #OOBE #OOBEs #NDE #OutOfBodyExperiences #NearDeathExperiences #Consciousness

Mystic Poetry of Sant Tulsi Sahib of Hathras

Mystic Poetry of Sant Tulsi Sahib of Hathras

Behold Your Beloved Within 

This is one of the few ghazals^ written by Sant Tulsi Sahib. This ghazal was written to explain the esoteric secrets of the spiritual path to a Muslim divine, Sheikh Taqi, who happened to pitch his tent in the neighborhood of Tulsi Sahib’s residence. The Saint impresses upon Taqi to seek God within his own self and not in the world outside. Much of the mystery of the inner realms becomes resolved at the eye center, from where the aspirant commences his spiritual journey.

Listen, O Taqi, seek not thy Beloved in the

world outside;

Within thine own self, behold the splendor

of thy Beloved

In the pupil of thine eye is a mole, wherein

is hidden the entire mystery;

Peep within and behold thou what lieth

beyond this dark curtain.

The secret of the fourteen realms will, for

certain, be disclosed to thee;

Let thy attention not slip, see that thou art

ever vigilant.

Listen! Thou art constantly being called

from the Most High.

There ever beckons thee the voice of thy

Beloved.

It is not meeting with the Beloved that is

arduous;

What is difficult, O Taqi, is that it is hard

to behold Him.

Without the grace of some realized Guide,

says Tulsi,

The path of salvation is distant, beyond thy

reach.

_____

^ A ghazal is a form of lyrical poetry, originating from the Persian literary tradition,  which generally deals with the subject of love. Every two lines of a ghazal are usually complete in themselves.

_____

Cosmic Flight Through the Sound Current

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.

(Sant Tulsi Sahib, Book of Shabdavali)

#Mystics #Poetry #India #Spirituality #Meditation

#InnerVisions #InnerSpace #ThirdEye #Gnostic #Mysticism #SantMat #Sants #Saints #Sant_Mat #SuratShabdYoga #InnerLightAndSound #ThePathOfTheMasters #Consciousness #PathOfTheMasters #SantTulsiSahib #TulsiSahib #TulasiSahiba #Beloved #LordOfLove #LordOfTheSoul #Radhasoami