Who's Qualified to Answer Our Spiritual Questions?
Satsang Transcript Of Recent Podcast:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCOX4o1Q5wo&list=PLqzXkcs_2TwAvbR6ev3goFSbDBj8FnRS8
Sant Kirpal Singh, Santji (Ajaib Singh Ji), and Baba Ram Singh
We may find ourselves beginning our spiritual search with only questions, and not have anyone able to answer them. Or we may notice lots of religious or spiritual voices out there pretending to have the answers, and not believing them, not trusting them to be Sure Guides, Sources of Genuine Wisdom, Competent, Honorable Masters, Qualified Teachers. "Cut off have been My people for lack of knowledge." (Hosea 4:6)
We may have had some spiritual experiences such as seeing inner light, colors, stars, or a bright light, or in the silence hearing a kind of sound of the silence ringing in the distance, or perhaps we have memories of such experiences when we were children, maybe at a very young age. If we remember these experiences and ask some religious authority, usually they will look at us funny, tell us, "It was nothing", dismiss our question and tell us to move along. We may walk away feeling like a heretic or weirdo, and for sure are not getting our questions addressed at all in those places.
But instead of having our curiosity crushed by the Negative Powers That Be, telling us to go back to sleep, to forget, WHAT IF INSTEAD we learn of someone who would be happy to answer our questions, is able to answer our questions, is conversant with Inner Experiences and Inner Space, and could introduce us to new dimensions, new possibilities, whole new worlds?
"Cut off have been My people for lack of knowledge." (Hosea 4:6, Young's Literal Translation of the Hebrew Scriptures)
The Living Ones, Living Teachers, Living Masters, Living Mystics, by James Bean
When we seek out, and find, a living teacher... when we honor the concept, the possibility of there being... living teachers... when we acknowledge the importance, the centrality of living teachers, living mystics, living sages, living masters with us in the world today, we are, at the same time, then also honoring all living teachers and saints of the past. Since that is what they once were, truth be told. They were not just characters in books. They were not beings made of ink and paper living out their lives on pages of books, scrolls or parchments. They were living ones, incarnated souls residing in physical bodies assisting other souls during their day, during their time here on planet earth. When we acknowledge living teachers, we simultaneously honor the reality of all those teachers of the ages, of eons gone by.
Sacred books falling from the sky did not create the world religions and spiritual paths. Before there was “The Book”, there was the author of “The Book.” Without living Teachers there would have never been a Torah, no Noble Truths, no Eightfold Path, no Sermon on the Mount, no Golden Rule, no sages to compose the Upanishads, no Jap Ji of Guru Nanak, no Tao Te Ching of Lao Tzu. 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 Maharishi Mehi, no Sawan Singh Ji, 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. The living teacher, the Sant Satguru, is also the embodyment of those teachings and meditation techniques, something they experience themselves, making them the best ones to guide others into the same experiences of the Light, Sound, and Inner Regions. 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 (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.
“Reasoning thus be not angry nor blame anyone in vain. Everyone is slumbering in the night of delusion, and while asleep one sees dreams of various kinds. In this night of mundane existence it is Yogis (mystics) alone who keep awake — Yogis who are in quest of the highest truth and remain aloof from the world." (Ramayana of Goswami Tulsi Das)
"Without a Master, all scriptures are like the whispering of ghosts." (Sant Tukarama)
His disciples said to him, "Twenty-four prophets have spoken in Israel, and they all spoke of you."
"You have disregarded the Living One who is in your presence, and have spoken of the dead." (a saying of Jesus, Gospel of Thomas, 52)
"You've ignored the Living One right in front of you, and you've talked about those who are dead." (another translation)
"Look to the Living One as long as you live, otherwise you might die and then try to see the Living One, and you will be unable to see." (59)
Dr. Jagessar Das, Kabir Association
What the Living Master Shares with His or Her Students
"The soul is never separated from God but, due to the distractions of the world, and the various sense organs and the mind, a person loses contact with God and suffers. With proper instruction and guidance, the person realizes the soul’s unity with God and lives happily." (Dr. Jagessar Das, Commentary on the Bijak of Kabir, Kabir's Hidden Treasure of Spirituality That We May Uncover)
Beloved Swami Sant Sevi Ji Maharaj
Swami Sant Sevi Ji Maharaj:
"Saints and sages have unveiled all the mysteries of the spiritual journey and of self-realization in their discourses. All these techniques have been documented in different books. But without an accomplished teacher, we will not be able to grasp the correct technique of true knowledge.
"In the Bhagavad-Gita Lord Krishna advises that for learning spiritual knowledge we must seek help from an accomplished seer (ask someone two sees if you wish to learn about sight, a seer):
'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 the knowledge you wish to learn. After high school, students think about the direction and choose a field of study: liberal arts, commerce, or science. If, for example, students want to learn liberal arts but go to a professor of science instead, will this teacher have much to offer? The students must choose a professor proficient in the knowledge they wish to learn. In the same manner, if you want to acquire spiritual knowledge, 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; bondage and liberation, and who practices a spiritual path. Such a teacher must have attained direct experience of Truth through spiritual disciplines. This is the only kind of teacher you should take instruction from. The grace of the teacher is also necessary for success in the spiritual pursuit. When you have learned the methods for inner meditation, you should practice diligently. Moral rectitude is also quite essential in this spiritual pursuit. This is the seventh limb of yoga, dhyāna (meditation; focus). When one has become completely established in dhyāna then one attains Samadhi (union)." (Swami Sant Sevi Ji Maharaj)
Santji (Sant Bani Ashram)
Santji, from, The Light of Ajaib
So when you have not met the Master, when you don't know whether the Master has accepted you or not, how can you get any advantage from the Masters who were present in this world many years back?
That is why everybody in this world, if he wants to do devotion of God and if he wants to get liberation from this painful world, has to go to the living Master, the Living Christ; and only after going into His refuge and getting guidance from Him can he get liberation. It is only people of the present time from whom we can take advantage: we can have justice only from the present ruler or king; only the present living doctor can cure our disease; only the present husband or wife can produce children with us. King Chandra Gupta was a very strong king in India many years back; if any woman says now, “I want to get a child from King Chandra Gupta,” how is that possible? He is not in the physical body now. No matter if that woman goes and sits in the remembrance of that king and has a lot of love and affection and devotion for him, no matter how much she tries, still he is not going to come and fulfill her desire. In the same way, if anyone who is sick now wants to get treatment from the great ancient physician, Lukman, how is that possible? ... If he will not go to the present doctor, he cannot get any help from the doctors who were living in this world many years back. (Santji, from, The Light of Ajaib)
Kirpal Singh Ji
No New Faith, Mind That!
This question and answer session with Sant Kirpal Singh Ji took place at Tustin, Calif., on December 18, 1963.
THE MASTER: The basic principles of all religions are the same. I am teaching no “ism,” mind that. Remain in your own faiths. But, there you have taken the first step – the elementary step. It is meant for the preparation of the ground. Now you have to take the other step [the next step] which is referred to in your scriptures, but which we have forgotten. This is no new faith, no new religion – nor am I going to advocate any religion whatsoever. There are already so many faiths existing. Do you follow me? This gathering here is a purely spiritual gathering, a common ground for all to sit together, irrespective of whether they belong to one religion or the other. AS man we are one, as soul we are one, and also the one whom we worship – God – is also the same...
The other day I went to a Unity Church. I asked the minister, “What are your teachings?” He gave me a pamphlet. I read it; it said there, “Christ lived before Jesus – that very wording is there: “Christ lived before Jesus.” And what is Christ? One man came up to me when I was here the last time in 1955 and put the question to me, “When is Christ returning?” I told him, “Has he ever left you?” That is the point. Christ said, “I shall never leave you nor forsake you till the end of the world.” If He has not left us, where is the question of returning? So, I read the pamphlet the other day. I’ve got it with me. It says, “Christ lived before Jesus.” Christ is the God Power or the Guru Power which continues to come from time to time for the guidance of the child Humanity. It came even before Christ Jesus, before Buddha or Guru Nanak or anybody. We are all His children. How can He disregard His children? Those who were born before Christ Jesus or Guru Nanak or anybody – what about their fate? And what about those who came after them? Let us assume for one moment that those who believe in them will be saved. Then what about those who came before them? Will they all be doomed? This is seen from a common sense point of view. The fact remains a fact. Any awakened man realizes that. My point is, we are all children of God: The soul is of the same essence as that of God, and the same Controlling Power is keeping us in the body. The man-body is a golden opportunity we have in which we can realize God. But to realize God we must know ourselves first; because it is only the soul, the conscious entity, that can know Him: like alone can know the like. He cannot be known by the outgoing faculties, or by the intellect, or by the vital airs. These are the facts. So that God Power continues – the Sonship continues... (Kirpal Singh, This question and answer session with Sant Kirpal Singh Ji took place at Tustin, Calif., on December 18, 1963.)
Inner Sound and Light Experiences Before Initiation - The Light of Ajaib – Volume 5:
I had the experiences of Light and Sound right from my childhood, and that is why in that bhajan [hymn] I have written, “O Lord, write the Light of my Master in my forehead, and write the Sound of Almighty Lord in my ears.”
Even though the holy souls are able to hear the Sound Current in their childhood, and even though they are able to see that Light, but still that Light and Sound cannot guide those souls up. Unless they meet a perfect Master, and unless they meditate with the guidance and instructions of a perfect Master, even though they may be seeing Light and hearing the Sound, but still, those Lights and Sounds cannot pull the soul up.
Often I have said, “Suppose that there were tons and tons of gold and precious stones buried in your house. But if you are not aware of that – if you are living like a beggar, if you are begging for pennies outside and living your life like that what is the use of having so much gold and precious stones, all that wealth, buried in your home, if you are not able to take it out? Suppose someone comes along and helps you take out that wealth which is in your own home, and with that wealth you are able to live a comfortable life. Tell me, whom would you thank? Would you thank the gold and the other valuable things which were buried in your home and which were useless for you until you discovered them with the help of the person who knew they were there? Will you thank that wealth? or the person who helped you get that wealth? I think you will definitely thank the one who helped you to discover it, because if he had not come to you, you would not have gotten those things. [Not gotten the treasure.]
In the same way, God Almighty was always present within us in the Form of Light and Sound. But we did not know about Him, we did not know how to make contact with Him... (Santji, The Light of Ajaib – Volume 5)
Kirpal Singh, This question and answer session with Sant Kirpal Singh Ji took place at Tustin, Calif., on December 18, 1963.
QUESTION: Master, would you kindly explain the principle and the importance of Simran? [Simran means remembrance, and also refers to the spiritual exercise of repeating names of God, a kind of prayer of the name or names.]
THE MASTER: Well, it is very clear. Whom do you remember? The one whom you love, don’t you remember him? What is remembrance? It is a symbol of having love for somebody. If you have love for somebody, all the time you are remembering him, perhaps not with your mouth, but with your heart. And whomever you want to love, remember him constantly, and that will develop love, that’s all.
Why do we do Simran or remembrance, the first step, in this way? Because, you know, through the various outgoing faculties, the impressions of the outside world have been heaped up within us, to overflowing capacity. Our subconscious reservoir of the mind is overflowing with worldly impressions. These impressions came by the remembrance of outward things. We want to deplete that and then fill it with the sweet remembrance of God – so much so that even in dreams we will have the same thing.... Suchlike remembrance is the first step: to deplete the subconscious reservoir of the mind which is already overflowing with the impressions or the remembrances of the world. Then the next step is, truly speaking, purity of heart: when nothing else is there other than love of God, or remembrance of God. That is a truly pure heart. And such a heart is required for someone to come up to Him.
So Simran is the first step, done for the sake of taking up the spiritual way. They say, 'love God', is it not so? How? With all thy heart, with all thy soul, with all thy mind, with all thy strength. And loving God is what? You remember Him. The one whom you love, naturally his remembrance is there. Whomever you want to love, just keep him in your mind and that will react in his mind. This is but natural. That is what Christ meant when he said, “Let my words abide in you, and you abide in me.” The first part is very clear; but how can you abide in him? When you remember someone, that naturally causes a reaction there. That’s a reaction, you see. If you want to abide in him, you must only develop remembrance, sweetly. When you remember him, you think of him; as you think of him, you become what he is. “As you think, so you become.” So this is how you can abide in me. And he says then, “Whatever you shall ask, you will have it.” This is the first step. This is the principle on which this Simran, or repetition, or the sweet remembrance – call it by any name you like – is based: “As you think, so you become.” Yes? (Kirpal Singh, This question and answer session with Sant Kirpal Singh took place at Tustin, Kali-fornia :) Calif., on December 18, 1963.)
Sant Ram Singh Ji Maharaj
Baba Ram Singh Ji Maharaj: The Ladder Of The Sound Current Connects The Soul Back To God Almighty, With The Grace Of The Master (Meditation Talk, Morning of August 8th, 2016)
Ever since God has created this whole Creation and has created the human body, the human form, He has created the Path to go back, for the soul to go back, and meet God Almighty within the human form. This is not a Path created by any Mahatmas. It is a Path created by God Almighty Himself. It is a natural law that has made this. On the same Path, Saints have gone and met God Almighty with the Grace of Their Masters. And, on the same Path, we can also go with the Grace of our Masters and meet God Almighty.
There is one Sound Current emanating from God Almighty coming down, but there are five planes in-between. And each plane, where the Sound Current traverses, it makes a different sound.
So, this ladder of Sound Current is there connected within, and each step we take, each plane we cross, that same ladder is connected internally. The same Sound Current gets connected and goes back to God Almighty. It is on the Sound Current only that the soul rides and goes back to God Almighty, all which are connected within.
But, to manifest this Sound Current within, we have to take the help of Simran and Dhyan and we have to concentrate our attention, we have to focus our attention from outside, within. And that is how we will get to manifest the Sound Current within.
Our mind is scattered in outward, worldly thoughts. And it is continuously in the repetition of these thoughts, which are all outwardly drawn. And that is why the mind is also outwardly drawn. By doing the Simran of the Naam [the repetition of Names of God] given at the time of initiation, we repeat that and the mind starts getting focused, and its attention gets focused within.
When we sit for meditation, we close our eyes and then we focus our thoughts at the back of the Eye Center. And our faculty of visualization is also there, which also visualizes the Form of the Master within. And by doing Simran, we concentrate our attention and focus at the back of the Eye Center. Then, automatically, when we sit for meditation, our attention starts getting focused on the Form of a Master at the back of the Eye Center.
There are the rishis and munis who also do meditation. But their meditation and their focus and attention are slightly different. Instead of focusing at the back of the Eye Center, what they do is, they start focusing on the chakras.
So, in the physical body, we have six chakras. And starting from the lowest chakra, they start doing the mantra. Each chakra has a mantra, and what they do is, they repeat the mantras. And, when a certain number of times that mantra is done, tens of thousands of times, then that chakra opens up. And, that way, they start progressing by opening each of these chakras and going inside and up within their body. So, for them to take and open each of the six chakras and then the seventh above that and go up, inside, it takes a very, very long time.
Mahatmas say that when someone has to climb a mountain and he is midway, standing on the mountain, there is no point in going down to the bottom of the mountain and then climbing all the way up again. Instead, he should climb upwards from where he is.
So, the soul is currently situated at the back of the Eye Center. And, therefore, Saints say that you start from there. You start focusing there and focus your attention where the soul and the Master stay. That is at the back of the Eye Center [the third eye].
So, therefore, we should lovingly focus our attention and do the Simran and the Dhyan, that is, the contemplation of the Form of the Master while doing Simran at the back of the Eye Center. When we do this lovingly, we also start getting the Grace of the Master there.
* * *
So, this morning time is good. We have woken up. Our mind is fresh and it is quiet. A quiet mind is good for meditation. So, we should close our eyes and get connected to Simran and Dhyan.
Huzur Maharaj Rai Saligram
Light on the Spiritual Practices of Radhasoami, Huzur Maharaj Rai Saligram
147. When in worry or trouble, the devotee should first communicate his worry or trouble in Dhyan or Bhajan. Thereafter he should withdraw
his mind and spirit and apply them to Swarup (Form [of the master]) or Shabd (Sound) or both as much as he can. By this, he is sure to get some solace or peace of mind or power of endurance.
148. The highest form of devotion consists in a devotee, i. e., a loving Satsangi, having no desire of his own or inordinate attachment with any object. Considering the Supreme Being to be all-powerful, all-knowing, and his true well-wisher and helper, he should remain tranquil. He should be constantly absorbed in the love of the Holy Feet, and, off and on, secure its bliss. But this cannot be attained by everybody all at once. By attending Satsang, performing Abhyas (spiritual practices) and engaging in Bhakti (devotion), worldly thoughts, desires, ties, cares and worries will gradually be reduced. Proportionately his Saran [the protection and grace] of Radhasoami Dayal [the merciful Lord of the Soul] will get firmer, and his reliance on His Daya (Grace) will be greater. In the case of an Abhyasi who has not yet acquired perfect love, it is permissible to narrate his trouble [in prayer] or make requests, whenever he is in trouble, worry or want. Radhasoami Dayal, in His grace, will grant necessary help to true devotee...
149. Many troubles and calamities, which visit Abhyasi Satsangis due to their past Karmas, are warded off or minimized by Radhasoami Dayal, in His own grace and mercy. Instead of the maximum, they get the minimum punishment; for an impaling stake they get a thorn-prick. But the Abhyasi Satsangi is not even aware of it. Many Karmas are suffered easily or eradicated in Abhyas. They are felt very little. The Abhyasi Satsangi never knows the full impact of these Karmas. It, therefore, behooves Satsangi Abhyasis to be always thankful and grateful to Him.
150. If a Premi (loving) Satsangi is keen about his progress in Bhajan (spirit-sound practice [in meditation] and securing bliss therein, he should, as far as possible, regulate his conduct and behavior both in worldly and spiritual matters in accordance with the ordainments [ethical precepts]. It is proper and necessary for him to take care that, in order to benefit himself, he does not, as far as possible, harm anybody. Generally, he should treat everybody with love and compassion. (Light on the Spiritual Practices of Radhasoami, Huzur Maharaj Rai Saligram)
Baba Somanath
Bhajan (Mystic Hymn) of Baba Somanath
O embodied soul, why have you still not understood?
Your life is passing by.
The sun rises, the sun sets;
But you have done nothing.
Kal [the negative power] has cast the nets of Maya.
He devours the souls; he misses no opportunity.
You came vowing to meditate,
But Maya misled you and lulled you to sleep.
Now the night has passed, and dawn is breaking.
Sit in solitude, and do the Simran of Naam.
Daily, with regularity and true love,
Place your heart at the Guru’s lotus feet.
Withdraw into your inner mind,
and fix your attention in the Naam.
The Saint’s Path leads within.
Follow it and become free of care.
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