Sant Dariya Sahib of Bihar, and the Path of the Masters

Sant Dariya Sahib of Bihar, and the Path of the Masters 

 Mystic Poetry and Teachings of Sant Dariya Sahib of Bihar, A Great Master in the Lineage of Inner Light and Sound Mysticism



  "Those who develop interest in simran are really fortunate and are making a good use of their human birth." (Domain Singh of the Sant Dariya Mission Website)
 

Below the mystic verses of Sant Dariya is a discourse by Domain Singh of the Sant Dariya Mission of Bihar, on the practice of Simran (Manas Jap): repeating God's Name or Holy Names with love and devotion, a bhakti practice of remembering God, done during available moments throughout the day and night, as well as simran is a technique used during meditation practice.
 

Before We Get to the Poetry and Spirituality, Some Sant Mat History: Background on Sant Dariya Sahib (1674--1780)

 
 Sant Dariya was born in 1674 in the Rohtas District of Bihar, India. He was brought up and remained at that place for most of his life. Dariya was apparently given his name by the family Guru. Dariya's birth was celebrated with great festivity. After the baby was one month old, a holy man visited his place and the mother brought the baby before him. This holy man carefully looked at the baby from head to foot, asked the mother to take very good care of the baby and named him Dariya, to be so recognized later. Dariya never looked upon him as a human being, and always referred to him as the Lord or Sat Purush. Sant Dariya got enlightenment at the age of twenty years. He was initiated into Inner Light and Sound Meditation, Shabd Naam, by the same Satguru mentioned above, that had been a major influence on Dariya's life.

 
 In 1674, Dariya's Guru would have BEEN, or at least would have been contemporary WITH, one of the early Dharamdasi Kabir Panth Gurus, the "People of the Anurag Sagar", that is to say, a distinct branch of Sant Mat related to Kabir that used a text called, The Anurag Sagar, along with, The Bijak, Saakhi Granth, and other writings attributed to Guru Kabir. Another signature teaching that early on was unique to the Dharamdasi group was the view that Sant Dharam Das was the primary gurmukh successor of Kabir. It is recorded that Dariya's Satguru, mentioned above, eventually appointed Dariya Sahib to be his spiritual successor.

   
Dariya became one of the great Saints of the Sant tradition of India, a towering figure occupying some of that space in history between the time of Kabir and that of Sant Tulsi Sahib of Hathras. In fact, for awhile, Dariya and Tulsi Sahib were alive at the same time. Dariya passed on when Tulsi was around seventeen years of age. Dariya Sahib appointed several Saints to be his spiritual successors: Fakkar Das, Basti Das, Sant Tika Das, and, Sant Guna Das, also contemporaries with Tulsi Sahib, who likely spent some time in Bihar. Bihar was, and remains, home-base of the Satsang of Sant Dariya Sahib. "He [Tulsi Sahib] has freely used words of Braj, Avadhi, Rajasthani (Marwari), Gujrati, Punjabi and Maithili, which leads one to conclude that, like many other Saints, he must have traveled widely in V.P., Rajasthan, Gujrat, Punjab and Bihar." (Tulsi Sahib, Saint of Hathras, J.R. Puri, and V.K. Sethi, RS Books)

   
Tulsi Sahib said he was initiated by a living Satguru, but knowledge of the name of that particular Guru is lost, or at least not necessarily clear to us these many years later. The name of that Guru is not recorded in the writings that have survived. Or is it, and we simply aren't noticing? During those days, Sant Dariya has the distinction of being the only living or recently departed Sant Mat Master Tulsi mentions in his writings! Furthermore, Tulsi Sahib, in a hymn of praise, a shabd, included Dariya on his of the greatest Saints in the history of India. Says Tulsi: "Nanak, Dadu, Dariya Saheb, Mira Bai, Soor Das, Kabir and Nabbaji have all reached the Mystic Sky and have given out the secrets. Their souls have got across and merged there." My suspicion is that the unknown Guru of Tulsi Sahib was either Dariya Sahib, or one of Dariya's successors in Bihar. Thus, contemporary Inner Light and Sound Meditation or Sant Mat, the Path of the Masters as it is known, associated with Sant Tulsi Sahib and Soami Ji Maharaj or Sant Radhasoami Sahib, is directly connected to the Dharam Das branch of the Path of Kabir by way of Dariya's Guru and Dariya Sahib of Bihar.


Masters such as Dariya Sahib and Tulsi Sahib represented mystical hardcore reformist voices somewhat critical of the overall direction the older Sant Panths were headed in. Sufis, the followers of Guru Gobind Singh (Ratnagar Rao?) or Sikhism, the Kabir Chaura or other branches of Kabir Panth (other than the Dharamdasis), and the Dadu Panth of Rajasthan, do not recognize Dharam Das as the gurumukh successor of Kabir, and they do not use or recognize a key sacred text important to Tulsi Sahib known as the Anurag Sagar. Those Panths or Paths do not seem to be the the primary influences upon Tulsi Sahib. For the Dharamdasi Kabir Panth group and the Dariya Sahib Panth however, the Anurag Sagar is a major scripture, central to their teachings, history, and view of the cosmos during this age of Kali Yuga. Therefore, these writings and teachings unique to the Dharamdasi and Dariya branches of Sant Mat, being shared by Tulsi Sahib are significant clues. Tulsi's views about Sant Mat Spirituality, Kabir, Dharam Das, Panch Naam, the Anurag Sagar, a critical stance against Kabir Panth as it had become during his day, etc..., would most likely suggest an association with the Dariya Satsang of Bihar. In my view, the teachings of Tulsi Sahib most resemble those of Dariya Sahib, to the degree that it's safe to say that, based on a close examination of the internal evidence provided in the writings of Tulsi Sahib: theology, vocabulary, style, imagery, quoted materials including the Anurag Sagar, stance towards the Kabir Panth and other Sant Panths, that the primary influence upon Tulsi was Dariya Sahib and the Dariya School of Sant Mat.

   
Back to Sant Dariya Sahib. "In one of his books, Dariya claimed himself to be Saint Kabir in his previous birth." (Dr. Dharmendra Brahmachari Shastri, who published a research paper on the Sant for his Doctor of Philosophy thesis called Sant Dariya Kabir of Bihar) Certainly, many believe the great sage Sant Dariya Sahib was the reincarnation of Guru Kabir. In any case, it can be said that the teachings of Sant Dariya Sahib and his Satguru successors do indeed represent a continued living mystic-expression of this Path of Guru Kabir in this current Kali Yuga Age. Says Sant Dariya Sahib:

   
"Sat Purush is the living Lord
And His own son serves as the ladder.
That ladder is continued through me, says Dariya.
Fakkar Das, Basti Das, and Guna Das,
Are the ladders proceeding from me.
Whomsoever they appoint as their successors
Would also be known as ladders.
Thus will my line of succession continue.....

"Those souls who remain in obedience
to these successors,
Shall cross the Ocean of the world.
How long will this line of succession continue?
Kindly relate it to us in your own words, asks Fakkar Das.
Listen mindfully, 0 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."

   
Above is based on 1) information found at the Sant Dariya Mission website; 2) the one book in English featuring excerpts from the many writings of Dariya Sahib, by K.N. Upadhyaya; and, 3) my own articles reflecting about Sant Mat history, the Kabir line of Masters, Dharam Das, Dharam Das's son and spiritual successor: Churamani Nam, Dariya's Guru, Dariya Sahib, and Tulsi Sahib. Note: Domain Singh of the Sant Dariya Mission website really likes Upadhyaya's book on Sant Dariya, thinks it's a wonderful and scholarly publication.

   
Spirituality: Mystic-Verses/Shabds of Sant Dariya Sahib

   
Let the practitioner be brave like a lion, and let him not forget the holy repetition even for a moment! Let him be on alert with his drawn-out bow and arrow! The thief (Kal) can never come near such a one. (Sahasrani, M., p. 37)

   
Keep on repeating the holy names with tenacity, and remove the impurities by repeated rubbings. With the impurities removed, one becomes pure, and wisdom dawns upon such a one in full. Sahasrani. M., p. 61)

   
Sumiru Sat Nam niju kam hai jahi te

   
Practice the repetition of the true Names which alone is of value, abandon the taste for worldly enjoyment, and attain thereby the inner bliss. Have kindness in your heart, look with compassion, give up all family rites and worldly concern.

   
Being detached, brush aside all worldly delusions, And take refuge under the Satguru's holy feet, which is the kingdom of eternal bliss. Disregarding sufferings and afflictions, cut off worldly snares, and be firmly absorbed in contemplation which alone is of value.

Thereby the inner lotus will blossom, nectar will flow, and the inner sky will resound with melody hearing which, Kal will flee away.

   
There the dazzling Light will shine and the true Sound will resound, which will destroy heavy sins, and place a divine canopy over your head. (Shabd 318, M,.pp. 103-104, D.G. Vol. I. p. 86)

   
Sumirahu satpad pran adhar

   
Carry on the repetition of the true names, taking it to be your very life-breath. Obtain thereby the true Sound, and go across the ocean of the world. When a disciple receives the holy names from the Guru, the disciple is sure to attain the Unchangeable, Eternal and Immortal Abode.

   
The soul attains union with the Creator, and never again comes to this world. That Abode is different from the three worlds. There resides the Primeval Lord along with a multitude of pure souls.

   
A disciple who takes the Guru's word to his heart, is destined to go to the True Abode, and is never to fall into hell. Having obtained the Authentic Passport (Naam), he certainly goes to the Hidden Realm, and never comes back here again, says Dariya. (Shabd 9I, M., p.40, D.G. Vol. I, p. 64)

   
Light and Sound arise from the Primal Shabd. Let one make one's attention one-pointed, and let the Surat catch the Sound Current with rapt attention! This is the only way to rise to the Primal Shabd. One should fix one's attention at that point where the sun and the moon meet (at the eye-center).

   
One will find a resounding melody emanating from the Primal Shabd. One should merge oneself into that melody. There the Thousand-petalled Lotus blossoms, although the Primal Source is above the Akah Lotus. There arises a unique fragrance from the Thousand-petalled Lotus, enjoying which the souls are thrilled with great delight.

   
When one becomes a devotee of the Satguru, then alone love and devotion are manifested through his service. The further journey is extremely subtle. It can be crossed only by merging the Surat in the Sound Current. Experiencing the refulgent Light and incomparable Sound (of higher Regions) one is filled with bliss.

   
Reaching the Inaccessible (Agam) Region, one finds an exceedingly dazzling Light. It is hard for the mind to stand that Light. Stepping on the ladder of the Satguru, one tastes there the fruit of Immortality. (Dariya Sagar, chaupai 165-171 & chhand 5, D.G. Vol II, pp. 17-18)

   
When one sees with one's inner wisdom,
An eternal Light comes to one's sight.
One is absorbed in the Unstruck Divine Melody,
And the Lord is seen in the refulgence of Light.
(Dariya Sagar, chaupai 376-377, D.G. Vol. II, p. 38)

The Unstruck Divine Music is played every moment. And seeing the Divine Form the soul is absorbed within. Only he who finds a wise Guru, can attain the true Abode of Sat Nam.

(Dariya Sagar, chaupai 382-383, D.G. Vol II, p. 39) (Sant Dariya Sahib -- Saint of Bihar, RS Books)

   

A Satsang Discourse: Sumiran for God-Realization, An Article by Domain Singh of the Sant Dariya Mission, the Sangat Founded by Sant Dariya Sahib, a Sant Mat Community in Bihar, INDIA

http://theholysound.com/sant-dariya-saheb-bihar/Sumiran-for-God-Realisation.html

  

There are many kinds of Sadhana [spiritual practices] to realise God. The question is which is the simplest and most suitable for the average person. Many have realised God by repeating the name of the Lord. The Guru gives the Name at the time of initiation. Lord Shiva achieved immortality by repeating the holy name of the Lord. Savage Balmiki became Brahma-like by repeating the holy name. The power of the holy name is beyond description. In the Ramayana, Saint Tulsi Das has said that the holy name of the Lord is more powerful than the Lord Himself. In the Gita, Lord Krishna has said that amongst all the Yagyas, Jap Yagya is the greatest.

   
The Name of the Lord has the capacity to reveal God. As the practice progresses, the mind becomes subtler and subtler. Ultimately the mind ceases and merges into the Transcendental. In this method of meditation, one sits down, closes the eyes, maintains an easy and comfortable posture, and without moving the lips or tongue repeats the name given by the Guru. As the process progresses, the breathing becomes calm and even. One's mind becomes quiescent. When the mind becomes quiescent, God speaks. If we listen to the inner voice, we find solutions to all our problems and frustrations.

   
By constant repetition of the Nam [Name] one can conquer lust and passion. To face the ups and downs which is natural in human life, there is no remedy better than ceaseless remembrance of God [simran or sumiran: mentally repeating God's Name: manas jap, as a way to remember God]. Saints of the Nirguna School of Spirituality [devotees or bhaktas of the Formless God] right from the time of Kabir have praised the power of sumiran. Gandhi jee was a great proponent of Nam-Bhakti.


Sant Dariya has described the importance of Nam- Bhakti in the following verses:


"Nam pratap yug yug chali aaye,
sakal sant gun mahima gaye"
jyo tarani jal jat taraee,
Nam sumiru jal bohit payee"

   
Dariya Sahib in the above verses says that the importance of Nam has been recognized for aeons. Saints have praised its glory. A boat floats on the water and whosoever has to cross a river rides a boat. To sail through the ocean of life which is so difficult, one needs a boat of sumiran to cross the ocean of life. God [at the highest level] is Formless and very few get an opportunity to see him in a form (body [or in the form of Satguru]: Sagun rup birla jan pave). The holy name of the Lord which is Nirguna (beyond attributes) easily leads to the realization of the Lord. According to Sant Dariya, akshar Nam (alphabetical name) leads to nihakshar (Lord who is beyond kshar and akshar). Here ksar and akshar denote perishable and non-perishable and the Lord is beyond these dualities, whom Dariya Sahib calls nihakshar.

   
Nam is a great medicine to cure all kinds of ills in this samsara [this world of changes]. Sumiran of the holy name subdues the mind and leads to concentration. The mind at ease and peace cures many of physical and mental diseases. It improves the immune system.

   
To sum up, the benefits of sumiran is immense for this life and life beyond. Those who develop interest in sumiran are really fortunate and are making a good use of their human birth. ////////

Sant Mat History: Maharshi Mehi – The Bridge between Scriptures and the Santmat

Maharshi Mehi – The Bridge between Scriptures and the Santmat

by Pravesh K. Singh

Sant Tulsi Sahab of Hathras, Uttar Pradesh, India undoubtedly occupies the most pre-eminent position in the lineage of Santmat and can be said to be the First Saint in the glorious tradition of Modern Age Santmat. Mr. James Bean, who has made an intensive study of Santmat and runs several groups on Santmat very rightly depicts Sant Tulsi Sahab as the "Adi Guru of many if not most all contemporary Santmat guru-lineages, the grandfather or founding-father of modern-day Santmat" and as a "connecting link between the classic Sants of India including earlier Masters in the Kabir lineage, and contemporary Santmat", and advocates that "any serious study of Santmat teachings must include the hymns and spiritual discourses of Sant Tulsi Sahib".

While Sant Tulsi Sahab laid the foundation of Santmat tradition of modern times, it was exquisitely served and enriched in a unique way by Maharsi Mehi Paramhans ji Maharaj. Maharshi Mehi was a direct disciple of Baba Devi Sahab of Muradabad, Uttar Pradesh, India who had special blessings of Sant Tulsi Sahab. Before I proceed further, I wish to place on record that I have a firm opinion that all true saints are equal, as they all have by dint of their rigorous meditational practices raised their consciousness to merge into that of, and, hence, have become one with the Absolute Power, God. I, thus, have (and all of us should have) equal admiration and respect for all the saints (Lord Buddha, Lord Mahaveer, Shankaracharya ji, Ramanand ji, Kabir Sahab, Guru Nanak, Tulasi Das ji, Tulsi Sahab, Baba Devi Sahab, Dadu Dayal ji, Sundar Das ji, Swapach ji, Radhaswami Sahab ji, Rai Bahadur Shaligram Sahab ji, Ravidas ji, Ram Krishna Paramhans ji, Swami Vivekanand ji, Kamaal Sahab, Tukaram ji, Jagjivan Sahab, Palatu Sahab, Gorakhnath ji, Shiv Narayan Swamiji, Dariyaa Sahab (Bihari), Dariyaa Sahab (Marwari), Soordas ji,Dharani Das ji, Garib das Ji, Yari Sahab ji,Doolan Das ji, Gulal Sahab, Brahmaanand ji, Keena Ram ji, Charandas ji, Sahajo Bai, Shabri, Mira bai, Maharshi Raman, Rumi, Bulla Sahab, Guru Gobind Sahab etc. etc.) whichever sect or panth they are from (in fact, the saints did never form or even propose to form any sect or panth, it has always been formed & promoted – sometimes chauvinistically – by their followers; the saints have always been much beyond sectarianism). So whatever I propose to say about Maharshi Mehi in the following paragraphs must not, in any way, be construed to put him above or below other saints or to undermine the importance of other saints. All saints have, in all times, made the noblest efforts to uplift the human kind from their woeful state of being attached to the illusory duo of the body & the world.

The role of Maharshi Mehi was, however, arguably unique in one sense. All saints, as has been underscored above, are equal as they have become one with Him. However, the worldly roles played by different saints of different times have been different depending upon the place & time of their appearance and the then prevalent social milieu. Saints like Shankaracharya, taking the support of Holy Scriptures (some of these being the same Scriptures which were used by Dualists), established the supremacy of Monist or Non-dualist Philosophy. Many other saints like Kabir, Nanak etc. preached to the world, on the basis of their own direct spiritual experiences, the evanescence, the impermanence of this illusory creation (the attachment to which is the prime cause of our sufferings & endless wanderings through 8.4 millions of species) and exhorted us to practice non-detached way of living and steadfast meditation so as to liberate ourselves of the countless cycles of birth & death. They also made valiant efforts in fighting & eradicating social evils and religious parochialism which were rampant in their times. Some of their teachings, however, also conveyed the impression, falsely though (because such impressions were based on faulty interpretation of their sayings), that all the intellectual exercises such as studying of numerous Scriptures were futile and as such of no avail, rather impediments in the path of liberation. In due course of time an apparent scenario emerged wherein the Vedas and Scriptures (composed by Rishis of ancient times) and popular Saints, who generally preached in commonplace languages and local dialects, came to be seen, as it were, to be in direct opposition to each other. The wisdom of Upanishads was unfortunately conceived to be contrary to the teachings of the modern saints, and the hiatus between the two appeared to be widening with time. It was then that Maharshi Mehi rose to the occasion realising the dire necessity to bridge this gap which was unreal, fabricated, and being made more permanent so to say. He decided to make an in-depth study of the four Vedas, various Upanishads, commentaries on these Scriptures by the various scholars, and the sayings of the saints ranging from the time of Lord Buddha to that of Radhaswami Sahab and Baba Devi Sahab. He very meticulously & diligently examined the quintessence, the underlying postulates of all these, and came up with a sound conclusion that there is no inconsonance whatsoever between the wisdom of the Ancient Scriptures and the Sermons and discourses of saints of modern saints, that both unequivocally convey the same central idea or message. He wrote several books to lend credence to his inferences. For example, he authored "Veda Darshan Yoga" (meaning the Philosophy of Vedas) and showed how the ideas contained in the hymns of Vedas are in agreement with the precepts of Santmat. He also wrote a commentary on Srimad Bhagvad Gita titled "Shri Gita Yog Prakash" and thereby clarified and removed several of misinterpretations of the shlokas contained therein. He also wrote "Ram Charit Manas Saar Sateek", a commentary on the Rama Charit Manas composed by Goswami Tulasidas ji wherein he has rendered wonderful explanations & expositions of several couplets & quartets to bring out their hidden metaphysical meanings which are extremely edifying & rare to find, even though scores of commentaries on Ram Charit Manas by several scholars have been written so far. His commentary on the Ghat Ramayan of Sant Tulsi Sahab of Hathras named "Bhaavaarth Sahit Ghat Ramayan Padaavali" is a must read for any spiritual seeker. He compiled shlokas, along with their translation from authentic sources, from a number of Upanishads to prove how identical &consistent they are with what saints, some of them formally illiterate at that, have said or written from their own experience. Finally he decided to take upon himself the herculean task, in which he was very ably assisted by his dearest disciple & successor Maharshi Santsewi ji, of collating the teachings of Vedas, Upanishads, renowned commentators such as Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Mahatma Gandhi etc, and saints together in one place, in the form of one great book titled "Satsang Yog" divided in four parts. Part Four of the book contains his own conclusions and the accurate road map depicting, with the accuracy & precision of a scientist, the various stages of spiritual meditation and the spiritual states experienced by the sincere spiritual seekers on the way to perfection which means actual merger of the individual soul into the Absolute Entity called God just as a river merges its identity wholly with that of a sea losing its own individuality in the process. Here he has explained, with striking clarity, the order in which different planes of Universe (viz., Shabdaateet Pad, Hiranyagarbh, Bhanwar Gufaa, Mahaashoonya, Shoonya, Trikuti, Sahastradal Kamal , Ajnaa Chakra and the other chakras) came to be created by and from God and which are realised directly by the saadhak (practitioner) during his meditation. The spiritual cosmology sketched by him, again with the able assistance of Maharshi Santsewiji, is perhaps the clearest and the most elaborate available anywhere wherein the equivalent names of different levels of creation used by Sufi Fakirs also have been included. The clarity and the confidence with which he describes the experiences of a spiritual practitioner during meditation which includes seeing different lights & innumerable cosmos through the inner eyes and listening, through inner ears, to myriads of sounds (such as those resembling notes of various musical instruments & thundering of clouds) culminating in grasping of the Quintessential Unstruck Melody known as Anaahat Shabd or Saar Shabd which leads unto the Kingdom of One & the Only Almighty, is unparalleled and leaves the reader assured that these are the words backed by direct, first-hand experience of a saint. Satsang Yog – Part IV, in fact, reads like a systematic scientific documentation, a research thesis.

As the gist of the whole of his intensive research into literature and his own direct experience, he made a loud & confident proclamation that the scriptures and saints are essentially in unison and that any view to the contrary is wholly unfounded and worthy of rejection. He firmly opines that one has to accept the Upanishads as the base, the foundation of the Santmat because the most sublime and the loftiest of the meditational techniques known as Naadaanusandhaan or Surat Shabd Yog (The Yoga of Divine Sound) in which Santmat takes utmost pride, have been scintillating in all their splendour resting on this very terra firma called the Upanishads since times immemorial.

Thus, the greatest and most unique contribution of Maharshi Mehi was that he brought together, bridged the gulf that had come to separate not only the Holy Scriptures and the Santmat but also the different traditions or sects of sants from each other.

His great work was extended further by his greatest disciple and worthy successor, Maharshi Santsewiji, who tried to carry forward the syncretistic philosophy to a global scale. He studied all the major religions of the world in depth, sifted their essence or spirit and established the underlying unity & harmony among all of them above board. In his extraordinary book "Sarva Dharma Samanway" which has been beautifully translated by Mrs. Veena Howard, Santmat Society of North America (http://thewayofsages.com), by the name "Harmony of Religions", Maharshi ji has emphatically proved this harmony, citing convincing references from various religions viz. Vedic Religion, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism etc. Mr. James Bean has done a lucid review of Mrs. Howard's Translation.

In the light of the above, it is my considered view that any sincere seeker who wants to delve deep, look into the heart of the Santmat, must undertake a serious study of Maharshi Mehi Paramhans' works, and that any scheme of syllabi of a course on Santmat, if one were to be ever attempted, will have to include Maharshi Mehi's Sahitya (literature). Maharshi Mehi Paramhans would always be remembered in the annals of history of humanity in general and Santmat in particular for having built the bridge between the Scriptures and the Santmat.

Jai Guru!