Seeking God Realization Within Our Own Human Body

 

Seeking God Realization Within Our Own Human Body

It must not be forgotten that the human body is transient and fleeting. It is ours only for a very limited period of time. This body is similar to a hollow bubble that will burst after a short length of time. This body, for which we do so much, is as brittle as glass and may at any moment be shattered to pieces. Once you have seen this light in everything around you, our soul only finds contentment and inner peace seeking the Lord's spiritual union. Throughout our life here on earth, we often experience feelings of loneliness and pain. According to the mystics, God has placed these feelings in our hearts in order to pull us back to Him. If we had not felt this longing, we would not have turned from outside involvement in worldly activities to inside involvement in religious pursuits. The feeling of separation will persist as long as the soul does not return to its original home and meet the Lord.

It is now evident the necessity to seek God realization but realize it is within our own human body. First, unless we have firm faith that God resides within, we cannot begin the search to find Him. A man must have some kind of faith before he undertakes any journey. For example, if a jar of gold coins is said to be hidden underground, then one must first have faith that the jar is actually there. Only then can one begin the labor required to reach this glorious prize. Likewise, a disciple starts his journey on the basis of faith alone, and this faith is proven through the progress the devotee makes. One question is if this is possible to do so and how. We need to seek out a Perfect Master that has actually been through the process and has achieved God realization. It is evident that a Perfect Master comes into this world to show us the path which leads us back to our true Home. Masters do not come into this world by means of their own will; they are always appointed by the Lord.

The Importance of a Perfect Living Master
by Dr. Narinder Ravi Goyal (New Book)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1615463844/ref=cm_cr_mts_prod_img

 

 

 

The Living Master With A Godward Focus - Light and Sound on The Path (Sant Mat, Radhasoami)

 

 

The Living Master With A Godward Focus - Light and Sound on The Path (Sant Mat, Radhasoami)

Question: Dear Babaji, the Satsang, Darshan, and Prashad of the Masters reduce the burden of the karmas of the initiates of the living Master. So, how about the disciples of the Masters Who are no longer in the physical body?

Babaji (Baba Ram Singh): For those whose Master has left the body, they can sit with devotion and attend to Satsang and do their Bhajan Simran with the same dedication and love and affection for their Master and they will get the same effect — like any other initiate who is getting it from a living Master. So, when anyone goes to take Darshan of a Master, of a Saint, whether he has been initiated by that Saint or initiated by some other Saint Who is no longer in the body, the Saint gives the blessings to everyone equally. So, everyone benefits from the Satsang and Darshan and the Prashad given by a Master, irrespective of whether he is an initiate of that Master or he is an initiate of any other Master...

Guru guru mein bedh hai,

Guru guru mein bhaav,

Guru guru mein bedh hai,

Guru guru mein bhaav

Soyee guru nith bandiye,

Jo sabhadh bathave daav.

Kabir Sahib says, “There is a lot of difference between one guru and the other guru. So, you should search for a guru — a true Master — Who has the knowledge of the Shabd. And then, you follow His Teachings and go within.”

Even Somanath Baba Ji did pranayamas for fifteen years. And he had a lot of mystical powers as a result of his practice. But, there was no peace. And he looked for a true Master after that and he went about the Himalayas for nearly five to six years. And, eventually, he came to Beas where he met Sawan Singh Ji Maharaj and he got initiated by Him.

Where we have true devotion for God Almighty and we really aspire to meet Him, then God Almighty Himself creates the Path for such disciples to go and meet the true Masters.

Wherever they are people with such past impressions, God Almighty definitely creates a path for such people to meet a living Master. And Whoever are the living Masters during that time, They bring such disciples under Their fold.

So, this Path has been created by God Almighty and He sees such people with past impressions and He sends the Masters to fetch such people.

Kanfookha guru hadh ka,

Behadh ka guru aur,

Kanfookha guru hadh ka,

Behadh ka guru aur

Behad ka guru jab milai,

Tab lahai tikaana taur.

Kabir Sahib says, “There are so-called ‘gurus’. And these people just blow wind in the ear. And by blowing that wind, they say that you have got your salvation.” And that is it. That is their practice. They just do that and then they may give some mantra for repetition. But this is what these people think about salvation and getting free from this world. It is only people who have past impressions. It is only such people who go to a true Master. And there, they understand the Teachings of the true Master and then they follow the Path of that Master.

All the other disciplines — all the other gurus — are all within the realm of Kal. And all of those paths will only keep you within this realm of Kal. It is only the true Masters Who talk about going beyond the compound of Kal.

Then there are others who follow the gunas — that is, Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh — and they give the mantras or the teachings of these deities. And then, they say, “If you do their practice, then you will either go to heaven, or you will go to Vaikuntha, or Kailash where these deities are supposed to be.

So, it is only with God's Mercy and Grace that a person with past impressions is drawn to a true Master. And then he understands the Teachings of the true Master and he follows the Path.

-- Excerpted from two Satsang Discourses of Baba Ram Singh

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Living Masters And Therefore Living Students (Disciples, Chelas, Satsangis, Initiates,), by James Bean

 

Living Masters And Therefore Living Students (Disciples, Chelas, Satsangis, Initiates,), by James Bean 

"Spiritual seeking has the not-so-modest goal of revealing nothing less than the Divine, the Truth or Ultimate Reality. For far less modest goals than this we would not dare attempt their achievement without a qualified teacher. Our universities and the degrees they confer bear witness to this fact. For example, we would never attempt to acquire the skills of a professional airline pilot with mere reading, nor would we dare take instructions from someone who himself had never flown*. Common sense requires that we approach subjects such as aviation or any number of other technical subjects with the help of skillful teachers and tried and true curricula. Why then would we assume that the highest and arguably the most difficult of all goals could be achieved without a Teacher or Guide?" (Don Howard)

*"Has Never Flown" - Theory vs. Experience

A note about "the blind leading the blind". If a guru does not see inner Light or have inner experiences at the various levels or inner regions, his students probably won't either, even if he does teach the theory of these things.

Rumi: "If you seek to know God, sit at the feet of the Saints".

"Obeisance to the best in the world, the guides of the world, the benefactors of the world, the light-givers of the world, the enlighteners of the world." (from a Sutra of Jainism)

"Without a Master all scriptures are like the whispering of ghosts." (Sant Tukarama)

"Neither inherited beliefs nor those taken on hearsay can advance a seeker on the path of divine revelation." (from, "Love's Last Madness")

Guru Nanak says the True Guru unites us with God, gives us a Godward Focus: "That preceptor is worthy who unites the aspirant with God."

"The name of the Lord is to be obtained through initiation from a qualified Guru. Initiation, which is one of the core processes of all esoteric paths, is the medium through which the individual soul (jivatma) learns to transcend the fetters of space, time and causation, and gets transformed into the Noumenal world of the Param-atman. The Guru who initiates, is the one who is himself firmly established in the Noumenal experience." (Mahant Purushottam Das)

"The Satguru-given Gnosis [direct experience] is lit up in the heart, with whose Light is dispelled the darkness of spiritual ignorance." (Sri Guru Granth Sahib, English and Punjabi Translation, Manmohan Singh, Volume 3)

"When I arrived, I opened a path and taught people about the Way of Passage for those who are chosen and solitary, who have known the Father and have pursued Truth." (Yeshua, Gnostic "Dialogue of the Savior")

"This mysterious path is described in the holy books, but it cannot be found simply by the study of sacred texts. It is found by the grace and guidance of an Accomplished Teacher." (Swami Sant Sevi Ji Maharaj)

No Living Teachers - No Living Students

"His disciples said to him, 'Twenty-four prophets have spoken in Israel, and they all spoke of you.' He said to them, 'You've ignored the Living One right in front of you, and you've talked about those who are dead.'" (Jesus, Gospel of Thomas, Saying 52)

Books falling from the sky did not create the world religions. Before there was "The Book", there was the author of "The Book." Without living Teachers there would be no Torah, no Noble Truths and Eightfold Path, no Sermon on the Mount, no Golden Rule or Gospel of Thomas, no Suras of the Quran, no ahimsa message of Lord Maharvira in Jainism, no sages to compose the Upanishads, no Krishna and the Bhagavad Gita, no Jap Ji of Guru Nanak, no Tao Te Ching of Lao Tzu, no Golden Verses of Pythagoras. If there was no Master Shams of Tabriz, there would have been no disciple by the name of Rumi. If there was no Swami Ji Maharaj, no Tukaram, no Tulsi Sahib, no Dadu, no Ravidas, no Mirabai, no Maharishi Mehi, no Sawan Singh, no Guru Kabir, no Sant Dariya Sahib, no living Masters, there would be no Sant Mat, no students, no initiates, no satsangs to attend, no school of spirituality, no clear and organized system of inner Light and Sound Meditation called Surat Shabd Yoga to be initiated into, nobody to give the initiation -- no one to expand anyone's horizons and awareness.

The essential reason for having a spiritual Teacher is not to worship the personality of the Teacher, but to learn from them the Methods of spiritual practice. The Living Teacher preserves the Methods of meditation and passes that Knowledge and Experience on to the next generation. A good spiritual Master also motivates his or her students to practice mediation and lead an ethical life in the context of a spiritual community or group of people (satsang). Books alone isolated from a community of others would not be enough to sustain spiritual practice, or cultivate inner mystical experiences. Satsang inspires, teaches, motivates, and group meditation helps to accelerate one's own inner experience.

Flee If the Focus of a Path is Not God-Bhakti

"The false guru gives sweet words seeking popularity, but the Satguru bestows wisdom, seeking disciples, devotees of the Lord. If you love someone dearly, guide him again and again, to tread the path of Truth." (Treasure of Spiritual Peace)

"The whole world makes an outer display,

whereas the practice of the Saint is within. 

This is the difference between the two; 

hence no accord is found between them......

There is a great difference between a Saint and a mimic, 

the two are as far apart as earth and sky. 

The Saint is absorbed in God, whereas 

the mimic pins his hopes on the world."

(Sant Dadu Dayal)

And of course, in the world are all-too-many examples corrupt leaders with a never-ending focus of consolidating their own power and influence. There is a section of the Anurag Sagar dedicated to this: "Yam Doots" - "Messengers of Death". "In the name of Kabir he will establish his path in the world. The souls who go to him, being controlled by illusion, will fall into the mouth of Kal."

Panths of Death - Dusty Cups Without Water Quenching Thirst - No More Light - No More Sound - Into the Mouth of Kal

It's interesting to notice that this phrase "fall into the mouth of Kal", the false god of time, death and illusion, also was used by Sant Dariya Sahib of Bihar: 

"Listen mindfully, O Fakkar Das,

I explain this to you, says Dariya:

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 the souls will go into the mouth of Kal.

I shall then come to this world,

And shall proclaim the teaching

of the Sound Current again.

Proclaiming the teaching,

I shall found the line of succession.

And emancipating the souls,

I shall take them to my Abode.

For aeons I have been coming,

And imparting the teaching

of the true Sound Current."

The Role of the Genuine Master is to Bring Us Into Our Own Experience of God

"All the world is entangled in meaningless rituals, and knows not the inner workings of God." (Guru Gobind Singh)

When approaching a spiritual path, one should seek out authoritative, original sources of information directly from that path, and not mentally filter a path in light of other, outside belief-systems one may be familiar with, attempting to understand a path using a distorted "lens" of the new age movement, other occult/esoteric systems, some fundamentalist ideology, materialism, or other far-distant philosophies.

The reality is, the classic definition of the genuine Guru from a traditional Indian perspective is "Light-giver". The Sant Satguru guides souls into a direct and personal experience of God here and now by teaching students to adopt the necessary methods of meditation practice, ethical values, and by cultivating a receptive attitude of God-bhakti (love and devotion).

In Sant Mat Mysticism the hansa is a soul that has been baptized in the Lake of Nectar and finds Its Original Nature restored -- then it continues it's upward ascent eventually reaching the Fifth Plane or Sat Lok. The Sants (souls have that reached the Fifth Plane or Above and are in Union with God) have composed, and continue to compose, descriptions of the Inner Regions, usually in the form of hymns (banis, bhajans) and mystic-poems, including about hansas in Sat Lok or Sach Khand (True Eternal Realm of Timeless Pure Spirit). We are all hansas or hansas-to-be as we journey back to the Beloved, the Ocean of Love and Oneness.

A Sant is a hansa-soul who, by his or her own spiritual Master, was mentored, and appointed to become the leader of a spiritual community. They are a Sant and Satguru as a result of their inward spiritual state of realization and oneness with God after countless hours of meditation, not based on an outward title, robe, turban, or image-making and public relations management. The Inward Reality is what counts.

The Sants of India have produced some of the most eloquent, ecstatic, God-devoted poetry, prayers and hymns the world has ever known. Below are selections from the Adi Granth (Sikh scriptures) as well as the mystic-poetry of Guru Kabir.

The Role of the Living Satguru According to the Adi Granth - Not a Book... According to the Book!

"By the Guru's instruction the mind of the disciple is rendered immaculate and she keeps God clasped to her heart. She keeps God enshrined in her mind, arranges her affairs, and by the Master's instruction knows her Lord."

"My Beloved has fascinated my soul 

and I have obtained the Lord, 

the scribe of destiny."

"Serving the Satguru she attains eternal peace and God, the enemy of ego and pride, abides in her mind."

"By the Master's instruction the name of God is contemplated. By the guru's grace, soul and body are saturated with the Lord and the Lord's name seems sweet to the mortal. The Lord's name seems sweet to them. He liberates all their families. With their mouths they utter the Lord's name. Their comings and goings cease. They obtain bliss, and their attention remains absorbed in the Celestial Music." (Sri Guru Granth Sahib, English and Punjabi Translation, Volume 5, Manmohan Singh)

Kabir's Ocean of God-Bhakti

Here the translator has preserved the numerous names for God that Kabir used in his mystic-verses. Guru Kabir: 

The Remote, the Inaccessible 

makes a fort for His dwelling, 

which He illumines with His Light. 

Lightning flashes--there is bliss 

where the child Prabhu-Gobind plays.

My soul loves Ram's name: 

Old age, death, doubt flee. (Rest)

They who care about castes 

are forever singing praises about themselves. 

But sweet melodies play unstruck 

where the Lord Prabhu-Gopal dwells.

The remote, unknowable One, 

who established the earth, the spheres, 

the three worlds, and the three virtues, 

lives in every heart: None knows Dharnidhar's secrets.

He reveals Himself in the blossom's fragrance. 

He dwells in the nectar of a mud-flower. 

His mantra is in the twelve-petaled heart, 

where the Lord Kamlakant dwells.

His Light is visible above and below; 

He illumines the infinite sphere of silence: 

Neither sun nor moon are found there; 

the primal Niranjan enjoys Himself.

He knows the universe and each heart. 

He bathes in Lake Mansarowar. 

His mantra is, "I am He"; 

He is not concerned with good deeds or bad.

He has no caste, nor is he caste-less; 

He knows neither pain nor solace. He is in 

the guru's house. He cannot be avoided. 

He knows, not birth or death: He is infinite silence.

Those who search for Him in their hearts, 

and speak His words, will become Him. 

They who place His mantra of Light in their hearts, 

Kabir, say, "Those mortals will certainly swim across." 

(Songs of Kabir from the Adi Granth, Nirmal Dass, SUNY Press, NY)

"It is the mercy of my true Guru that has made me to know the Unknown;

I have learned from Him how to walk without feet, 

to see without eyes, 

to hear without ears, 

to drink without mouth, 

to fly without wings;

I have brought my love 

and my meditation into the land 

where there is no sun and moon, 

nor day and night.

Without eating, I have tasted of 

the sweetness of nectar; 

and without water, 

I have quenched my thirst.

Where there is the response of delight, 

there is the fullness of joy. 

Before whom can that joy be uttered?

Kabir says: "The Guru is great beyond words, 

and great is the good fortune of the disciple." 

(Songs of Kabir, Rabindranath Tagore)

The Competent Living Teacher - Sant Satguru

"Saints and sages have unveiled all the mysteries of the spiritual journey and of self-realization in their discourses. All the techniques have been documented in books. But without an Accomplished Teacher, we will not be able to understand the correct technique of true knowledge just by reading.

"In the Bhagavad-Gita Lord Krishna says that for learning spiritual knowledge we must seek help from an accomplished seer [male or female]: 

'For learning spiritual knowledge you should go to the 

one who is a seer. Pay your respect to him, serve him 

and question him and express your desire for learning. 

Then he will fulfill your desire and answer your questions.'

"Consider for a moment the nature of knowledge you wish to learn. After high school, the student thinks his direction and chooses a field of study: liberal arts, commerce, or science. If, for example, the student wants to learn liberal arts but goes to a professor of science instead, will this teacher have much to offer? The student must choose a professor proficient in the knowledge he wishes to learn. In the same manner, if you want to learn spiritual knowledge, then you must go to a spiritually competent Teacher.

"The appropriate spiritual Teacher should be a person who has considered and discovered the realities of Atma and anatma (Spirit and matter, bondage and Liberation), and who practices a spiritual path. Such a Teacher should have attained direct experience of Truth through spiritual disciplines. This is Teacher you should take instruction from. The grace of Teacher is also necessary for success in the spiritual pursuit. When you learn the methods for inner meditation, you should practice diligently. Moral rectitude is also very essential in this pursuit." (Swami Sant Sevi Ji Maharaj, Harmony of All Religions)

"While we sojourn in this dark region of matter, we have to deal with the negative power. With him we must contend in our struggles for spiritual freedom. It is his duty to try to hold us here, while it is our duty to try to escape. The resulting struggle purges us and makes us strong, and fits us for our homeward journey. This everlasting fight, this struggle in a welter of pain and blood and heart cries, is designed by the supreme Father to purge us and make us clean, ready for our homeward ascent. Let us never become discouraged. All of this is designed by the Father for our benefit. It is much as if one enters a gymnasium to take exercise. If we meet these difficulties in the right spirit, we shall greatly profit by them. The idea of pain and struggle is to purge us and inspire in us a longing to rise above the regions of pain and shadow." (Julian P. Johnson, Path of the Masters)

"The message of the Masters fills the world with hope, and at the same time it offers a rational foundation for such hope. It not only tells people what they should do, but it offers them a definite method of doing it. In the march of the ages, cycle after cycle, in every planet where human beings reside, the great Masters are the Light-Bearers of that world. Until the end of the ages, they will remain the friends and saviors of those who struggle toward the Light." (Julian P. Johnson, Path of the Masters)

        "Guru bin aur bina karni,

Mile kas kaho yah rahni.

Chaah anuraag jis hoi,

Bhaag barr gurumukhi soi.

"Swami Ji Maharaj says, “Even if you get a True Living Master and He gives you the initiation, if we are not doing our meditation and we are not following the practice and the Path, then that Naam again does not do anything.” So, if we are not doing our meditation and we are not following the Path and the Teachings of the Masters, then neither the Naam can do anything, nor the Guru can do anything for us.

"So, we should consider ourselves indeed fortunate if we have the pangs of separation of the God Almighty and of our Master within, and we follow that Path and we do our meditation with love and affection. That way, if we do our meditation daily with love and affection, our mind also becomes purer, the burden of karmas also is lessened, and the mind, which is scattered all over the place, also gets focused within, and the attention gets focused within.

"And if we do not do our meditation, then the mind, which is impure, continues to remain impure and keeps building up the karmas.

Naam naami dou gaay,

Abhedi bhed samjaaya.

Guru ki mauj mein sab kuchh,

Jise chaahen karen gurumukh.

"Swami Ji Maharaj says now that He has explained what Naam means, what are the types of Naams, and what is the credibility and what is the strength of the Master Who gives this Naam to us. He goes on to say that, finally, it is in the Will of the Master. All of this is contained in the Will of the Master. It is in the Will of the Master to shower His Grace on people who have come with impressions from the past, and He can convert them into gurumukhs. So, if we sit for our meditation every day, then our mind will also become pure and we will get the Grace of the Master also." (Baba Ram Singh, from a talk titled, The Naam That Is Given By The Masters -- Until Their Charging Is There In That Naam, It Is Not Really An Initiation)

"The only people who find this wisdom or Truth are those who delve deep into the waters of knowledge. Those who are afraid of drowning in the water of knowledge only sit by its banks and simply talk about the waters of knowledge." (Guru Kabir, an Adi Guru or founding Satguru of Sant Mat)

An Ode to the Sant Satguru

In Praise of the Sant-soul of love

who has reached the Spiritual Realm above,

and merged in God.

Hail to the Competent Living Master,

the Qualified Teacher,

rare to find in this world,

so few and far between,

the True One,

a genuine mentor of souls,

righteous and worthy Guide,

a Fearless Being,

Light-giver,

leader of a spiritual community.

With gratitude to the Competent Living One!

In a Sea of Samsara -- illusion and world of changes,

of falsehood and posing,

there is a bright Light in the darkness.

A silent Music becomes audible.

At the feet of such a Loving, Radiant One,

the soul can not help but find inner Light and

slip into deep samadhi meditation.

In the eyes of a Saint are

love, wisdom, light, compassion, grace,

a reflection of God in this realm of the material plane.

The Master-Power connects the soul with the

Supreme Lord of Love.

-- a Guru Purnima Ode to the Living One, The Sant Satguru

Ingredients of a Living Spiritual Path -- Seven Gnostic-Sant Mat Parallels

Ingredients of a Living Spiritual Path -- Seven Gnostic-Sant Mat Parallels

In the Corpus Hermeticum and Nag Hammadi scriptures are/were described all of the ingredients of a living, viable mystical path:

1) living masters/teachers with students (past masters, scrolls, cuneiform tablets or old scriptures are not enough; a living guide is required);

2) a cosmology of several heavens/inner regions/planes/spheres;

3) an understanding that souls can access these realms here and now during this present life (a present-tense Kingdom of Heaven available to souls right now, not a spirituality postponed till some magical date on a calendar or hypothesized future age);

4) an initiation into the mysteries of the heavens, imparting to spiritual seekers the meditation techniques and sacred names;

5) visionary and auditory #mysticism (inner Light and Sound, spiritual seeing and hearing) -- descriptions of souls traveling within through various inner regions;

6) they have an ethical code, and this ethical foundation includes a vegetarian/vegan diet, then and now;

7) The Goal of the teachings and meditation practice is experiencing direct union with God.

#SantMat #Sant_Mat

Magnificence of Inner Sound Meditation, By Achyutanand Baba

The Magnificence of Inner Sound Meditation (Nada Dhyan), By Swami Achyutanand Ji Maharaj



Sant Mat Mysticism Blog:
http://santmat.gaia.com/blog




Below are translated excerpts from the book, "Vindu – Nada Dhyan", authored by the octogenarian Sant Revd. Swami Achyutanand Ji Maharaj, one of the eldest living disciples of Maharshi Mehi Paramhans, as well as an eminent scholar in the tradition of Santmat founded by Sant Tulsi Sahab of Hathras. Swami Ji has had the rare fortune of very prolonged close serving association of more than three decades with Maharshi Mehi who appointed him as the founder editor of the spiritual monthly "Shanti Sandesh" (Message of Peace) published by Maharshi Mehi Ashram, Kuppaghat, Bhagalpur, Bihar, India. Swami Achyutanand Ji even at this ripe age has dedicated his life to propagating the ideals of Santmat by widely travelling across the length and breadth of India, his mother country. He has a number of books to his credit like, "Vindu – Nada Dhyan", "Santmate Ki Baten", "Navadha Bhakti", "Bandaun Guru Pad Kanj", "Maharshi Mehi Ke Ashirwachan Aur Upadesh", "Sukti Sudha Sagar", etc. He also is the current editor of the quarterly "Adhyatma Prakash" (Light of Spirituality) published by Maharshi Santsewi Dhyan Yogashram, Agarpara, Kolkata, India.

- Translated into English by Pravesh K. Singh

(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sant_santati
http://profiles.yahoo.com/praveshksingh)



The Magnificence of Nada Dhyan (Inner Sound Meditation)

It is essential to practice bindu-dhyan, Drishti Yoga -- the Yoga of Inner Light -- before doing Nada–Dhyan [Yoga of Inner Sound], because with continued practice of Drishti Yoga (meditation on the Inner Light), the ability to practice Nada meditation is truly gained. The mind gets completely controlled with Nada–dhyan. The mind does not merely become controlled, it actually dies down. Sant Charandas Ji has depicted it exquisitely:

"jabase anahad ghora sunI |
indri thakit galit mana hUA, AshA sakal bhunI||"

[Since when I perceived the Divine Sound echoing within, all the organs became completely quiet, the mind got dissolved, and all longings ceased. ]

How did this happen? Charandas Ji further elaborates,

"ghUmat naina shithil bhayi kAyA, amal jo surat sanI |
roma roma Ananda upaj kari, Alas sahaj bhanI ||"

This means, on turning the Drishti (vision or gaze) inward (i.e. practicing Drishti Yoga), and on perceiving the Inner Sound, the body turned motionless, every pore of it got soaked in Divine bliss, and all lethargy, quite naturally, fled away.

It is why Kabir Sahab taught,

"shabda khoji mana basa karai, sahaja yoga hai yehi |
satta shabda nija sAra hai, yaha to jhUThI dehi ||"

[Subjugate the mind by finding the Inner Sound; this is the sahaja (natural) yoga.] |
The True or Unstruck Word is our essence; this body of ours is otherwise illusory or impermanent. ||]

Sant Charandas Ji further says,

"karate anahad dhyAn ke, Brahma rUpa hoi jAya |
Charandas yon kahata hai, bAdhA saba miT jAya ||"

[By meditating on the Word, the practitioner becomes the same as God or Brahman. |
Practicing this way, says Charandas Ji, all obstacles are removed. ||]

In the Nadabind Upanishad it has been said about the Inner Sound (Nada) meditation that,

"sarvachintAm samutsrijya sarvachesTA vivarjitah |
nAdamevAnusandAdhyAnnAde chittam vilIyate ||
nAdAsaktam sadA chittam vishayam na hi kAnkshati |"

That is, sidelining all worries and all efforts, one should mainly focus on the exploration of Nada; by doing thus the mind gets dissolved in the Nada, and the mind thus absorbed in the Nada does not crave anymore for the sensory objects.

Nada itself is Brahma. We should absorb our mind in this very Nada. Shrimadadya Shankaracharya has stated in Yogataravali:

"sadA shivoktAni sapAdalakshyalayAvadhAnAni vasanti loke |
nAdAnusandhAna samAdhimekam manyAmahe mAnyatamam layAnAm ||
nAdAnusandhan namostu tubhyam tvam manmahe tattvapadam layAnAm |
bhavatprAsAdAt pavanena sAkam vilIyate VishNupade mano me ||
sarva chintAm parityajya sAvadhAnena chetasA |
nAda evAnusandheyo yoga sAmrAjyamichchhatA ||"

[Lord Shiva, the propounder of the Yoga Shastra, has listed 1,25,000 ways of dissolution of mind. |
Amongst these Nadanu-sandhana (meditation on the Inner Sound) is the best, as well as the easiest way. ||
I bow to thee, O Nada! You lift me on to the Highest Throne. |
It is only with your grace that my prANa-vAyu (vital life-air) and my mind get dissolved in the Highest echelon of the Supreme Lord. ||
(Therefore,) renouncing all sorts of worries and with an alert and focussed mind...|
Those who yearn for the union with the Highest should meditate on the Divine Sound within. ||]

Balayogi Shri Bala Swami Ji Maharaj has beautifully expressed his views regarding Nada-dhyana, "This is such a means that enables us easily experience that supreme bliss that is our very own. Nada has a unique power. All of us know of the joy we experience while listening to melodious music in the outer world, but so unique and unparalleled is the bliss of this Inner Melody that the mind gets completely dissolved, and all its cravings get annihilated."

`indriyANAm manonAtho manonAthastu mArutah |
mArutasya layo nAthah sa layo nAdamAshritah ||'

[Mind is the master of all the organs; prANavAyu (vital life-air) is the lord of the mind. |
`Manolaya' (dissolution or absorption of mind) is the boss of prANavAyu, and this dissolution is accomplished with the help of Nada, the Inner Sound.||]

"Perseverance in the practice of Nadanu-sandhana leads to the dissolution of the mind. By sitting in a proper posture and consistently practicing looking within, with the eyes closed, one gets to listen to the Nada." (Kalyana Yoganka, p 325)

Sant Kabir sings prolific praise of Shabda-sadhana or Nada-dhyana:

"Kabir shabda sarIr mein, bin gun bAjai tAnt |
bAhar bhItar rami rahA, tAtein chhoTI bhrAnti ||
shabda shabda bahu antarA, shabda sAra kA sIr |
shabda shabda kA khojanA, shabda shabda kA pIr ||
shabda shabda bahu antarA, sAra shabda chita deya |
jA shabdai sAhaba milai, soi shabda gahi leya ||
shabda shabda sab koi kahai, wo to shabda videha |
jibhyA par Awai nahIn, nirakhi parakhi kari deh ||
shabda hamArA Adi ka, pala pala kariye yAda |
anta falaigI mAnhi kI, bAhar kI sab bAda ||
yahi baDAi shabda kI, jaise chumbak bhAya |
binA shabda nahin ubarai, ketA karai upAya ||
shabda binA sruti AndharI, kaho kahAn ko jAya |
dvAra na pAvai shabda kA, firi firi bhaTakA khAya ||"

[The Word, says Kabir Sahab, keeps ringing in the body |
It is pervading within and without; this alone can destroy all confusion. ||
There are many Words, each different from the other, the Quintessential Word is the crown of all. |
One Word is explored through the other, as one Word is the Guru of (or leads to) the other. ||
Words are much different from each other; focus yourself on to the Quintessential Word. |
Grasp that Word that would take you to the Supreme Lord. ||
Though everyone talks of the Word, that Word is without form. |
The tongue can't pronounce it; it has to be perceived within the body. ||
The Word has been there before we came into being, remember (meditate on it) constantly.|
This Word alone that is found within will prevail in the end, rest all being of least significance. ||
The beauty of the Word is that it acts like a magnet. |
One can't be liberated without the Word however hard one might try. ||
The soul is blind without the Word, knowing not which way to go. |
Not finding the Word, the soul keeps wandering again and again. ||]

Seeking God Realization Within Our Own Human Body

 

Seeking God Realization Within Our Own Human Body


{Radhaswami Dayal ki Daya Radhaswami Sahai:
"Grant Merciful Radhasoami Thy Grace and Protection"}

It must not be forgotten that the human body is transient and fleeting. It is ours only for a very limited period of time. This body is similar to a hollow bubble that will burst after a short length of time. This body, for which we do so much, is as brittle as glass and may at any moment be shattered to pieces. Once you have seen this light in everything around you, our soul only finds contentment and inner peace seeking the Lord's spiritual union. Throughout our life here on earth, we often experience feelings of loneliness and pain. According to the mystics, God has placed these feelings in our hearts in order to pull us back to Him. If we had not felt this longing, we would not have turned from outside involvement in worldly activities to inside involvement in religious pursuits. The feeling of separation will persist as long as the soul does not return to its original home and meet the Lord.

It is now evident the necessity to seek God realization but realize it is within our own human body. First, unless we have firm faith that God resides within, we cannot begin the search to find Him. A man must have some kind of faith before he undertakes any journey. For example, if a jar of gold coins is said to be hidden underground, then one must first have faith that the jar is actually there. Only then can one begin the labor required to reach this glorious prize. Likewise, a disciple starts his journey on the basis of faith alone, and this faith is proven through the progress the devotee makes. One question is if this is possible to do so and how. We need to seek out a Perfect Master that has actually been through the process and has achieved God realization. It is evident that a Perfect Master comes into this world to show us the path which leads us back to our true Home. Masters do not come into this world by means of their own will; they are always appointed by the Lord.

The Importance of a Perfect Living Master
by Dr. Narinder Ravi Goyal (New Book)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1615463844/ref=cm_cr_mts_prod_img

With Cries from the Heart, the Search for a True Guru Begins

With Cries from the Heart, the Search for a True Guru Begins

By Lars Jensen


{"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}


[Mr. Lars Jensen is a project manager (civil eng.) in Stockholm (Sweden). He tells, "I was born in a country where no one understands spirituality. Hardly any people believes in God in Sweden. Even if this country is a desert of spirituality, I had an inner longing to finding the truth, since the early childhood. I wondered about the mystery of life and death.... " Mr. Jensen received initiation in Santmat in July, 2008. He has tried to share his experiences and understanding on True Guru with us. -- SadGuruMehi.com]

A million speak of love, yet how few know; true love is not to lose remembrance even for an instant. It can only be called love, if you yearn for the Lord in the same way as a man is yearning for air, when he is drowning and fighting for his life under the water. You can only be said to have a thirsty heart if you can drink the whole ocean and your lips will remain dry like a desert. Only such blessed soul will reach the highest goal of life.

When the soul begins to awake from its deep slumber, no worldly forces can undo with the tears and yearning of the heart. At that blessed moment the life takes a turning point and the search for the Lord starts. It is the Lord from within our own heart calling us back home. From that very moment the destination of the soul is fixed. The cry of the heart will not stop until the goal of the heart is reached and the union with the Lord is accomplished.

While explaining the meaning of a poem "Builders" in the examination hall this inner force stroke the heart of the young boy Ramanugrah Lal (later known as Sadguru Maharshi Mehi) and his viewpoint of life suddenly changed within a twinkling of an eye, as if he was hit by a lightening of intensive yearning. He left the examination hall immediately and never returned. From that moment he was ever restless wondering in search for a true Guru that could give him the inner contact with the Lord. Finally the search was completed when he met Baba Devi Sahab and through Baba Devi's influence and spiritual guidance it is told that he ultimately achieved Salvation.

So spirituality is like an infection that can be caught but not taught. Once a God-realized soul is met; spirituality is caught like an infection going from one heart to another heart. The goal of spirituality is to establish this connection with the Source at level of soul and have nothing to do with any lower level of mind, intellect or emotions. Spirituality is only to be found at the level of soul. So how can it be found if search is made at another level where it is not? So a connection at level of soul is essential in spirituality. This connection is only possible to establish by the help of one who already has this inner connection with the Source. Only when such a God-realized Soul is met, we can be colored in the color of spirituality. To find a true Guru is therefore a must.

God as ordinate this way and so it is confirmed in all our Holy Scriptures. This is the true Religion, which is the same for all human beings and that never has changed and never will change, as it is old as mankind and created by the Lord Himself. Even all our Competent Masters of the past went to a master since the Lord has ordinate this way. Jesus the Christ went to John the Baptist and Kabir went to Ramananda. They themselves were more developed than their own masters, but they went to a master as an example for us to follow. If such high personalities had to go to a master, why do we think that we could find the way back to God by ourselves? God is the unseen Power over all working. So God needs a human pole through whom He can speak, how else He can speak with us?

So to get this inner connection with the Lord a spiritual Guru or Master is necessary. But who is the Master? This subject is very misunderstood. Guru Nanak says: "God is the true Master and the soul is the true disciple".

The Master is always one. Because God is one, He is not two. It doesn't matter if He comes in different human forms like Jesus, Guru Nanak, Kabir and so on. The Master remains the same. It is the God Power in them who is the Master, not the body, and this God Power is always one and the same. So Jesus and Christ were two. Jesus was the human pole in which the Christ power, Master Power or God Power manifested itself. Everything is revealed in our Holy Scriptures, but we do not understand them properly. Christ said: "I was before Abraham." (John 8:58) But it is obvious that Jesus, the human body, was not living before Abraham. Christ said: "I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." (Matt 28:20) But Jesus, the human body, died at the cross. So who spoke these words? Of course these words were not the words of Jesus, the human body, but the words of the Christ Power or God Power. So it is the God Power in them who is the Master and not the body. And that God Power is not limit to manifest Itself only one time in the history or in only one body. So that Power has manifest itself in all God-realized soul of the world. So there may be many different lamps, but the light from them remains the same. If a friend of yours comes in different clothing, would you not recognize him?

So a God-realized soul never says he is the Master for it is the God Power who works through him who is the Master. He says he is a servant of this God Power. If he claims himself as a Master, he can never be a Master. Never so far a true God-realised soul has claims himself as a Master. The one, who really has seen that God Power controlling and working through the whole creation, can never claim himself as the doer or as the master, its impossible. And so it is confirmed in our Holy Scriptures. Jesus the Christ never said that he was the doer, but the Father in Heaven. Guru Nanak and Kabir stressed the same thing and Guru Gobind Singh even told: "Whosoever calls me God will fall into the pits of hell; I am but His lowly servant." Prophet Mohammed also claimed that God is the only doer: "There is no God except God", "I myself am only a servant and a prophet witnessing of Him." So no true Master ever proclaimed himself as a Master.

So God Power is the only one who is Competent to help us. He is the one who can drag your attention up. He can take you above the body consciousness, the five senses, the intellect and the mind, into the beyond. So God have sent you to this world, but He has also sent someone to take you back home, through whom He is saying: "Come children, come back Home." And that is through Sants.

So the way back to God starts with the yearning of the heart. That Power from within will surely draw the true seeker to the right place where the true Guru is to be found. When the candle is lighted, the moths would themselves fly to it. Where there is honey, all true bees will come up, but for those who can't smell the difference how can they come?

If someone can't smell the difference, what to do? If the yearning is not strong enough, so that God Himself drags you to the right place where the true Guru is to be found. What to do? If you try to search for the true Guru by your own effort, how to find him? By own effort it is impossible, to find him. But some guidance is helpful.

So how to find a true Guru?

It is told that the true Guru can not to be found in a million, maybe in a billion. Just think, how many other Competent Masters was contemporary with our Competent Masters of the past? As for example, how many other Competent Masters came at the time of Christ? He was the only one. There were of course many other so-called teachers, but who were they? They were the priests and scribes whom wanted to crucify Christ and they claimed themselves as the only true mouthpiece of God. So the God Commissioned person is very rare to find and mostly he comes alone. If there are more than one at the same time, they will work as one unit, since it is the same Power working. So he is the rare one, the rare personality, that is Commissioned from God, but he would never say "he is the Master" and he doesn't act or pretend to be like one either. Everything is not the same. A so-called guru is not the same thing as true Guru.

Accordingly the true Guru is very hard to find. So when we search for true Guru we must be aware, because obviously there are also 100 000 so-called masters, who are not commissioned by God and who are not doing His Work. But who are they? Man has the power to discriminate, because if he does not discriminate then he looses his life. All Competent Masters have defined very clearly that we should discriminate. What is true and what is false? All misguidance is due to our own ignorance. But the Holy Scriptures tells us that ignorance is no excuse, the followers should at least know what they are following. So some guidance is needed to avoid that the so-called gurus catch the seeker, because then the golden opportunity of this human life is lost.

So how to recognize if a guru is the true Guru?

This is a very rare subject and very seldom talked about, but without this knowledge many souls will come under the influences of a so-called guru. No blind faith is accepted by the Lord, if you have not seen for yourself, never believe in the guru. Disciples are not needed, but conscious co-workers of the divine plan. By being around a true God-realized soul your own consciousness will be developed and the inner experiences will come, if you follow his instructions with wholly and solely devotion. But if you remain ignorant being around a guru, the guru himself is ignorant, because spirituality is like an infection going from one heart to another heart and no power can undo with it. So being at the company of a true Guru you must get this injection of spirituality. How can you come in contact with sandalwood without getting the smell? If you don't get the smell it is because it is not real sandalwood. So if no positive change is made at level of soul and consciousness, this guru is probably not a true guru.

If there was no difference between a guru and an ordinary man, then what is the purpose of going to a guru? The true Guru is a God-realized soul, having an inner and direct contact with the Divine Source. Having an inner contact with the Divine Source will naturally also reflect outside on his true living and pure character. So accordingly there are some criteria that a guru must fulfill in order to be a true Guru.

A true Guru must have pure character since he has raised above all the poisons of the senses, ego and mind. Whereas the so-called guru has a worldly character even so he tries to hide it. Any sign of anger, ego, lust, greed or worldly attachment is a sign that he is not the true one.

Since a man's inner state is reflected outside, a person can be known by his living. The true Guru, whose heart is pure, can be recognized through his pure living. The so-called guru, whose hearts is not pure, can be recognized through his impure living. The so-called guru act and pose a lot, so his impure living will properly not be seen if you don't come close to him and see him acting in his daily life.

There are 100 000 ways to be misled in the world, but there is only one way back to God. So everything that takes away your attention from your goal, that is God, is a hindrance. So in the direction in which a guru draws your attention, you can see if he is genuine. If he is the true one, then he will draw your attention to God since this is the goal. If he draws your attention to other so-called things like fulfilling our wishes, getting health, getting peace of mind, healing power, miracles power, himself as a person, prophesies and so on, he can never be the right one. All these so-called things are nonsense, because what does it have to do with God, and by following it you will never know God. Where you have your attention, there you also have to go. The true guru's only goal is to take us back to God and he is living and doing for this purpose alone.

Since it is the Mission of God, it must be done in Gods name alone, and in no other name. Never a true Guru claims himself as the doer or as the Master and never he takes money for his service done in the name of God. It is a universal law of God that everything that comes from God is free.

The teaching of the true Guru is in accordance with all our Holy Scriptures and also in accordance with all Saints of the past. Whereas the teaching of the most so-called gurus are contrary to the Holy Scriptures and to each other. While still other so-called gurus repeat the teaching of the true Guru, since with some training anyone can teach it. But to give the practical demonstration, the first hand experience, is very difficult.

The true Guru must be able to give you a first hand demonstration of rising you above the body consciousness, so you can have the inner experiences of the beyond. The right inner experience that is in accordance to all our Holy Scriptures. Until you do not see with your own eyes, do not believe your guru. He must also be able to answer your questions, without you even putting them. The true Guru will know your heart even better than yourself. Only when such a Soul is met, we can be colored in the same color. Life comes from Life as Light comes from Light. It is only an awakened Soul that can rouse us from our deep slumber.

This is some of the signs of a God-realized soul. This teaching is very precious for those souls, who are lost in the search of a true Guru.

So spirituality starts within your own heart. It is like a wildfire that has caught into flames in the heart -- like the fire in the forest, nobody on earth can extinguish it, it will go on and on. This wildfire burns all the desires of the world and makes everything of this world appear dry and empty. The only thing that remains in the heart is the thirst for the water of life and the yearning for the Lord. This yearning for the Lord should be our ruling passion of life, and it should be just as strong as the hungry yearns for food and the thirsty yearn for water. Even God Himself looks for such a soul. Where there is fire, oxygen will come to help. Where there is a burning heart who yearns for the Lord, help will also come. So you only need develop such a condition, and you do not need to look for God, because God Himself will come after you. The blind one can not find the hand of the seeing one. Only the seeing one can take the hand of the blind one and lead him to the right place. So He selects us. The God Power from within will draw such a soul to the feet of a Competent Guru, just as happened to the young boy Ramanugrah Lal (Maharshi Mehi).

Pray to God that He may come to you, because this world is a jungle of so-called masters. It is almost impossible to find the true Guru by our own effort. After all you can not find Him, if He doesn't want to be found. Only He can find you. Only the seeing one can find the blind one, never it can be the opposite. So make a prayer to God that He will come to you!

But if you have a thirsty heart which holds you awake all night, then the God Power from within your own self will draw you to the right place where the true Guru is to be found. So all that is needed is a thirsty heart, because even God Himself looks for such a Soul.

So Spirituality is very simple indeed. You only take away your attention from the world and instead direct it to God. Spirituality is just as simple as that. ////////