Ram -- Kabir's and Namdev's Primary Simran Word or Mantra Name For the Formless God, by James Bean

 

Ram -- Kabir's and Namdev's Primary Simran Word or Mantra Name For the Formless God, by James Bean


Over time, in different branches of the Sant tradition of India, various sacred mantra names or simran words are used. The name "Ram" was used by Guru Kabir and other classic or early Sants such as Namdev. "Satya-Ram" is the sacred name used by the followers of Sant Dadu Dayal of Rajasthan. There is a tradition of the Guru Mantra phrase and five Sach Khand or heavenly level names of God used in the Sant Dharam Das path. The Panch Naam or Five Names are sacred words corresponding to various inner regions used by Sant Tulsi Sahib of Hathras and some of those connected with him. Others associated with Sant Tulsi Sahib and successors use another charged name for God. In the Radhasoami Faith there is Radhasoami Naam -- the manifestation of the name Radhasoami -- that begins with Soamiji Maharaj and Huzur Maharaj Rai Saligram Bahadur of Agra.

Mystic Verses of Guru Kabir

Verbal Chant: "Let Your Tongue Say 'Ram'"

"Kabir says,
To receive true life,
devote yourself to Hari [God].
Narayana's [God's] name is a pillar;
let your tongue say 'Ram."

Manas Jap or Mental Chant: "Repeat Ram's Name in Your Heart"

"Kabir says,
You cannot call anyone your own;
repeat Ram's name in your heart
all the time."

"Kabir says, Those who want to solve the riddle
will know all if they repeat 'Ram'."

"Kabir says,
forget not Ram's name;
let body and wealth go,
if they must.
Dedicate your heart
to His flower-like feet,
and be absorbed in Ram's name."

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


Sing and Repeat the Name of Ram [God] -- The Mystic Bhakti Poetry of Sant Namdev

Sant Namdev, 1270-1350 --  some of his verses are included in the Adi Granth (Guru Granth of the Sikhs). There is a collection known as the Shri Namdev Gathas, and, what’s quoted below is from the Padavali of Namdev.

There are four essential books to explore if you’re interested in learning about the Sant Mat of Namdev  -- the Teachings of this Saint: "Sant Namdeva  -- The Facts of His Religious Ideology", by O.P. Ralhan, Anmol Publications, New Delhi; 2) "Saint Namdev", J.R. Puri and V.K. Sethi, a volume in the Mystics of the East Series, published by the Beas Radhasoami Satsang; 3) The Sikh Scriptures online at Sikhs.org or other translations of the Sikh Gurbani; and, 4) "The Hindi Padavali of Namdev  -- A Critical Edition of Namdev's Hindi Songs with Translation and Annotation" (Hindi and English), by Winand Callewaert, from Motilal Barnarsidass Publishers, Delhi, which I’ve used below.

The sacred simran/mantra name "Ram", used by Namdev as a name for the Formless Supreme Lord of Love, appears often in the mystic verses of not only Namdev, but also Kabir, all throughout the Adi Granth, in the hymns of Ravidas, Dadu, and countless other Sants of India.

It is the power of love (prem) and devotion (bhakti) that brings the wandering mind to focus (pratyahara) and holds one’s attention at the Third Eye center during meditation (dharana during Surat Shabd Yoga). One is permeated by love repeating God’s name or names, beholding the Light within, and during bhajan (listening to the inner Sound), also considered an act of worship in traditional Sant Mat mysticism.


Words of God-Bhakti, Light and Love from Sant Namdev

54

God [Hari] is my companion
in life and death.
Hari, who rescued
the drowning creature.

Hari, the Giver of joy
is always with me.
I am immersed in
the name of Hari
says Namdev.

55

What can you lose
if you sing
Ram [God]?
Sing that name
sleeping or waking.

The glory of that name saved Dhruv
and Prahlad
who meditated on the mantra
Ram.

Sanak and others
cherished the name
the name Ram
which grants freedom.

This is my message
says Namdev
'What you receive
is what you desire'.

56

Sing the name
Ram
the state of nirvana.
Your tongue lies idle
what better can it do?

Service.
Worship.
Remembrance.
Meditation.
All are false
without God.

Fasts
pilgrimages
serve worldly goals
they are empty without faith.
These regular fasts
are worldly efforts
they are like a ladder
discarded
when the citadel is scaled.

My heart lies at Your feet
You are my refuge
says Namdev.

57

Dwell on Ram
brother
like the caterpillar
meditating
in the cocoon.

The Lord has all
shapes.
He is the master of
everything.
He lives within
all.

A worm or a moth
whatever moves or is still
Ram is with
everyone.

The Divine Reality (God) According to Sant Mat

The Divine Reality (God) According to Sant Mat, by Swami Vyasanand Ji Maharaj, Inward Journey of the Soul (Chal Hansa Nij Desh)

 

Santmat emphasizes a belief in the existence of a Supreme Being. According to the teachings of the Sants, it is essential to have faith in the existence of the Eternal, Infinite Reality. As is evident, all created beings of this world are dependent upon one another for their existence and sustenance. However, the element that is the First Cause is not dependent on any other thing and is self-existent -- beyond creation and destruction.

This First Cause or Source is the Lord of all creation and is therefore called the Supreme Being. Time and space are created but Divine Reality is uncreated and eternal. The Supreme Soul pervades all and yet transcends material creation; it is beyond the confines of time and space. It cannot be destroyed; it is infinite, and indestructible. It cannot be grasped by the senses and is beyond the reach of the senses. It does not have any form, color, depth or breadth. It is not the subject of thoughts or the senses. According to the Kena Upanishad, it is the "eye of the eyes, ear of the ears, and mind of the mind." Having understood this, a persevering man or woman becomes immortal. This Reality cannot be limited by, or reduced to, thoughts of the mind because it is the very source of the mind. It cannot be seen by the eyes because it is the source of seeing. It cannot be heard by the ears, because it is the source of hearing. All senses derive their power through the source, the Divine Reality.

The Divine Reality is beyond the confines of this transitory creation. A part of the Divine, when it comes in contact with material reality, becomes an individual soul or jiva. Material nature is impermanent but the individual soul is a part of the Divine. Even though it is conscious and pure in essence, it becomes dependent on material things. The Divine Being is without any material confines and is beyond the qualified and unqualified nature. It is beyond the three gunas (material attributes that are essential to our existence in this creation): sattva (truth, purity, and lucidity), rajas (action, passion, and excitement), and tamas (dark inertia, sloth, and passivity). These three gunas permeate the entire creation, but the Divine is beyond them.

The following is a brief explanation of the relationship of three gunas with the creation:

* From the power of sattva guna, the essence of mind, intellect, emotion, and ego (I-principle) are created;

* From the power of rajas guna, the five senses of knowledge (eyes, ears nose, tongue and skin) and the five organs of actions (hand, feet, mouth and two organs of excretion) are created;

* From the power of tamas guna,, the five elements (earth, fire, wind, water and ether) and the five subtle elements (form, taste, smell, touch, and sound) are created;

* From sattva guna, the universe, permeated by sound and purity, emerges;

* From rajas guna, arises light, the source of action;

* From tamas guna, emerges darkness, the source of passivity and rest;

* From sattva guna, the covering of the sound is created;

* From the rajas guna, the layer of light is created;

* From tamas guna, the covering of the darkness is created.

The Divine Reality is beyond all these three gunas (three creative attributes of the material substratum).

By nature, all the material elements created by the three gunas are unstable, but Divine Reality is beyond them and is, therefore, constant. All the objects created by the three gunas are within the realm of time and space, and, therefore, are bound to come to an end. The Divine is beyond these and is eternal. It is unmanifest, infinite, and without afflictions. It is the source of infinite peace and joy, the abode of Divine knowledge, and the overseer of the universe. The Supreme Being resides in every heart and is omniscient. It is the source of truth, knowledge and bliss. The tree of joy arises out of the Supreme Being. It cannot be grasped by the mind and the senses. The Supreme Being is called by various epithets because of its multifaceted manifestations. It cannot be compared to any created substance and is unparalleled to any conceptions of the best in the universe. In essence, Divine Reality cannot be conceived by the senses, the mind, or the intellect.

There are numerous ways to describe the transcendent and immanent glories of the Supreme Reality. Just as comparing the sun to millions of fireflies would be a kind of mockery of the sun, comparing the Supreme Being to any objects of its creation would only display our ignorance of the nature of the Divine. A question arises: If God is omnipresent then what path can be taken to reach the Divine? An answer to this may be as follows. It has been stated that the Divine is omnipresent, then, how can there be any distance between the Supreme Being and the individual soul? But then, there arise more questions. If there is a way to reach the Divine, then, what kind of pathway is that? Who is the traveler of this path and how to begin on the path? What kind of hindrances might the traveler face on this path, and what kind of assistance might be helpful in overcoming those hindrances?

Answers to these questions need much deliberation. First, God is omnipresent; therefore, we do not need to go anywhere to find the Divine. Second, God transcends the material world and is subtle; therefore, God cannot be grasped by the mind and the senses. We need a subtle instrument to realize the Divine just as a small wristwatch requires miniature instruments to accomplish the work of repair. God is like a subtle machine and the senses are like big tools, which are unsuitable for realizing the subtle Divine machinery. Only through the instrument of the pure conscious soul is it possible to realize the subtle form of the Divine.

A question arises: the senses are unable to grasp the Divine, but why does the soul -- which is conscious and subtle -- not have the direct experience of the Divine at all times? The answer is this: The sensory sheaths cover the individual soul. Just as a colored pair of glasses obstructs the true color of reality, in the same way, the physical and subtle senses obstruct the true nature of the Divine. Even though Divine Reality is close to us, we are unable to see it due to these obstructions. Many Sants have described this condition through metaphors.

Sant Kabir and Sant Tulsi Das describe the soul as being hidden by a veil or screen of concealment made up of the three layers of darkness, light, and sound. Sant Paltu Sahib cries out: "Lift the veil and Khuda (God) will reveal himself." Sant Tulsi Sahib explains that the human condition is like someone with an eye disease (cataracts), which clouds their vision.

Maharshi Mehi says: "Three covers of darkness, light, and sound encumber the soul. We need to lift this veil in order to have the vision of the Divine."

In the Vedanta tradition, this covering or concealment is called illusion. Many layers obstruct the vision of the Divine and it is no easy task to remove the coverings. The path that leads us to go beyond these three layers lies within us. However, it is necessary to follow the teachings and methods given by a Satguru (true spiritual teacher) to accomplish this task. Given the nature of the Divine, it can only be realized by the soul. When the soul goes beyond the senses and the realm of three gunas, it becomes purified and attains readiness to experience the Divine. Only by getting rid of all the layers of obstructions can the soul experience is own true nature.

The Supreme Being is one, and, it is by isolating oneself from all other bondages that one can realize this Reality. Through meditation all the coverings and layers are gradually removed and the soul becomes one with the Divine. This requires a specific regimen or sadhana [meditation practice]. As the soul travels on this path within, it begins to shed the sensory layers and the distance to the Divine begins to diminish. The path will be completed upon the accomplishment of this task, eliminating the distance between the Divine and the soul.

#SantMat   #God   #Radhasoami   #SatPurush   #Anami   #SatyaRaam   #Khuda

Kabir: One of India's Greatest Poet-mystics and Spiritual Masters

Kabir: One of India's Greatest Poet-mystics and Spiritual Masters

By James Bean

Copyright February 2011, All Rights Reserved

 

 

The Sant Mat Quote of the Day:

https://SpiritualAwakeningRadio.com/sant-mat

https://www.Facebook.com/SantMatRadhasoami

https://SantMatRadhasoami.wordpress.com

https://SantMatRadhasoami.blogspot.com

https://www.Twitter.com/SantMat

https://SantMat.Tumblr.com

 

 

 

 

 

Kabir lived during the fifteenth century, raised near Banaras, India by Muslim parents. He grew in the impassioned poetry and deep philosophy of the Persian mystics like Jalaludin Rumi. He is, as he says in his hymns, "at once the child of Allah and of Ram". He achieved a synthesis of Hindu and Muslim belief and freely used symbols from both religions. He was a weaver, a simple and unlettered man, who earned his leaving at the loom. It is out of the heart of the common life that he sings his rapturous lyrics of divine love.

 

 

"Kabir" is an Islamic name popular in the Muslim world - it's one of the "Ninety-Nine Names of Allah" found in the Quran, meaning, "The Greatest". Kabir was indeed a great soul, a kind of "Christ of northern India", believed by some to be one of the most advanced souls to ever incarnate into the world. Today, Kabir has over twenty-five million devotees in various Kabir Panth and Sant lineages, and is universally loved by Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims alike. Kabir's hymns are still sung in the satsangs (spiritual gatherings) of various spiritual paths all over India and the world.

 

 

Kabir is Everyone's Universal Saint 

 

 

He was: 

 

 

a Master or Sant Sat Guru of Inner Light and Sound Mysticism/Surat Shabda Yoga and Sant Mat (Path of the Masters); 

 

 

musician and poet of Nirguna Bhakti (love and devotion for the One Formless God); 

 

 

a great teacher of eastern mysticism and gnosticism; 

 

 

peace maker between Hindus and Muslims; 

 

 

a social reformer in India who denounced the caste system; 

 

 

considered by many in Islam to be a Sufi Master or Murshid; 

 

 

considered by Hindus to be one of India's greatest poet-mystics and Vaishnava devotees in the history of India; 

 

 

considered a Bhagat by the Sikhs -- many of his hymns are included in the Adi Granth (Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh scriptures); 

 

 

was greatly influenced by Goraknath and the Nath Yogis, and the Nath Yogis of northern India were, in turn, influenced by Tantric Buddhism.

 

 

And some Christian missionaries at first thought Kabir might have been a Christian mystic due to his use of the term "Word" or "Shabda" - Celestial Music, which reminded them of the Gospel of John, chapter one: "In the beginning was the Word..."

 

 

Kabir freely used both Hindu and Islamic names for God. He attempted to make peace between Hindus and Muslims by pointing out that there is not a separate God for the East and West, but one universal Spirit Supreme. 

 

 

"The Hindu says Ram is supreme

the Muslim, Rahim

both die fighting each other

neither knowing the Truth.

 

 

"The south is Hari's abode; Allah's camp

is in the west. Look inside your own heart -

inside your heart of hearts - there is His abode, His camp.

 

 

"If Hari is merciful

He will place love in your heart,

and you shall obtain

the fruit of His name.

 

 

"Allah-Ram, I live by Your name.

Be merciful."

 

 

Kabir views humanity as being caught up in illusion, searching for Ultimate Reality in all the wrong places, always seeking It outside of ourselves in various rituals, temples, forests and mountaintops, not realizing That for which we seek is already hidden within us. 

 

 

"Your God dwells within you

like fragrance in the flower;

Musk lies within the Musk-deer

yet seeks it afar."

 

 

For Kabir, God, called "Allah" in the west and "Hari" in the east, can be experienced directly in a rapturous meditative state of Love, Bliss, visions of Light, Heavenly Sound -- a total oneness of soul and Oversoul in the Ocean of Love.

 

 

Kabir's spirituality was a blend of Prem-Bhakti: love and devotion for the Beloved Lord of Love, the One God (Ekongkar), and mystical soul travel experiences of a visionary and auditory nature.

 

 

This is my all-time favorite poem of Kabir, and it illustrates Kabir's approach to God as both that of an out-of-body mystic as well as that of a lover for the Beloved. 

 

 

"How could the love between Thee and me sever?

As the leaf of the water abides on the water:

so Thou art my Lord, and I am Thy servant.

As the night-bird Chakor gazes all night at the moon:

so Thou art my Lord and I am Thy servant.

From the beginning until the ending of time,

there is love between Thee and me;

and how shall such love be extinguished?

Kabir says: 'As the river enters into the ocean,

so my heart touches Thee.'"

 

 

That's from the book, Songs of Kabir, by Rabindrath Tagore. From that same translation here are verses where Kabir described some of his own inner mystical experiences. 

 

 

"What a wonderful lotus it is, that

blooms at the heart of the spinning

wheel of the universe! Only a few

pure souls know of its true delight.

Music is all around it, and there the

heart partakes of the joy of the

Infinite Sea.

 

 

"Rapture wells forth, and all space is

radiant with light.

There the Unstruck Music is sounded;

It is the music of the

three worlds.

 

 

"There the whole sky is filled with

sound, and there that music is

made without fingers and without

strings.

 

 

"The effulgence of the Supreme Being

is beyond the imagination:

Ineffable is His beauty,

to see it is the only proof."

 

 

Below is a list of recommended key translations of Kabir in English. In addition to those, I also want call attention to a book called, The Anurag Sagar, (Kabir's Ocean of Love), published by Sant Bani Books, Sanbornton, New Hampshire, USA 03269.

 

 

The Anurag Sagar is an epic reminiscent of the Ghat Ramayana of Tulsi Das and the Bhagavad Gita of the Mahabharata. In India, this text serves as a kind of "Genesis", "Gospel", and "Book of Revelation" all in one! a kind of gospel of Kabir, if you will. It summarizes the teachings of Kabir about the creation of the universe and higher planes/heavenly realms, the origin of evil and suffering in the world, the path to freedom from transmigration and reincarnation, and about Kabir's past lives. It is believed by some that Kabir incarnated during each of the Four Yugas or epochs of time to establish lineages of spiritual Masters in the world in order to enlighten humanity. This Ocean of Love or Anurag Sagar is also a valuable manual for learning about meditation practice.

 

 

Recommended Books On Kabir

 

 

Songs of Kabir, Rabindranath Tagore, Samuel Weiser Books; 

 

 

The Bijak of Guru Kabir (volumes I, II, and III), Dr. Jagessar Das, published by The Kabir Association # 208 - 14770 64th Avenue, Surry, B.C. CANADA V3S 1X7 

 

 

Kabir: Songs of the Divine -- 180 Mystical Poems of Kabir, Dr. Jagessar Das, Urban Mystic Books, Surrey, BC. Canada;

 

 

A Weaver Named Kabir, Charlotte Vaudeville, Oxford University Press; 

 

 

The Kabir Book, Robert Bly, Beacon Press, Boston; 

 

 

Praises to a Formless God, David Lorenzen, SUNY Press, NY 

 

 

Kabir - The Weaver of God's Name, Radha Soami Books;