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Showing posts with label secrets of surat shabd yoga. Show all posts
Showing posts with label secrets of surat shabd yoga. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 09, 2011
All meditation/spirituality is pretense without Love
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
The Most Important Task In Life
The Most Important Task In Life
Sant Mat Quote of the Day:
{"The affairs of the world will go on forever.
Do not delay the practice of meditation." -- Milarepa}
Truthful Living is Higher Still: From, The Treasure of Spiritual Peace: "Generally, devotees applaud the teachings imparted by a Satguru and become ecstatic over these but do not adopt them in practical life. Hence they meet failure everywhere.... Meditation upon the Lord's Divine Name is the most important task in life. All other tasks done amount to nothing."
Sectarianism is not Spirituality: From, The Treasure of Spiritual Peace: "One who has fought and conquered his own mind is the greatest warrior. Even the name of those is hardly remembered at whose threshold many used to bow low. Do not be deluded by momentary honour or position. Yesterday this prestige, prowess and position belonged to someone: today another claims it, and tomorrow it shall belong to someone else. But, be sure, the claim of each is untrue and unstable. They have been deluded the false attainment. One's own eternal possession is only the Lord's Pure Love.... Meditation upon the Lord's Divine Name is the most important task in life. All other tasks done amount to nothing."
A True Teacher and Guide: From, The Treasure of Spiritual Peace: "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..... Meditation upon the Lord's Divine Name is the most important task in life. All other tasks amount to nothing."
Meditate: Swami Santsevi Ji Maharaj: "We sit in meditation, fail to concentrate, and get upset or fed up. A pessimistic thinking sets in as to whether or not 'I would be able to do it.' No, we should not get nervous, or anxious, nor should we nurture any doubts in our minds. We must go on trying, with persistence and perseverance."
Meditate: Swami Santsevi Ji Maharaj: "Whatever amount is possible, do meditation everyday. Never ever give up or discontinue meditation. You will definitely meet with success......All of you please keep on practicing meditation regularly, everyday. Gurudev will bestow you with success."
Giving Life Meaning: "Ponds, rains, trees, and Saints -- all these four give meaning to their existence by helping others. A pond is meant to quench the thirst of living beings. The rains cause crops to grow and fills the world with greeneries. A tree gives cool shade, fruit, and wood. A Saint gives meaning to the lives of others by imparting True Knowledge to them." (The Saakhi Granth of Guru Kabir)
Love Wisdom: "Through Association with Saints, the hearing of spiritual talks and study, Wisdom can be acquired. Wisdom is essential in determining what is the right way to live your life." -- Maharshi Mehi Paramahansa Ji Maharaj
Friday, August 13, 2010
Satsang: When the Surat-disciple Meets the Shabd-Guru, the Path will be Traversed
Satsang: When the Surat-disciple Meets the Shabd-Guru, the Path will be Traversed
Light and Sound on the Path - August 13:
The Path of the Sants: Sant Mat
"He alone is the Adept, the Holy and the Gnostic, who is in rapport with the Divine. Says Namdev, he alone has obtained peace in whom God's Name has taken abode." (Hindi Padavali of Sant Namdev)
Maharshi Mehi has clearly stated that Sant Mat is not a new creed. It is a union of all the Sants (God-realized souls). We respect all the Sants. We study the speeches of all the Saints and remember them, and follow them. If we dive into the opinions of Sants (Saints) like Buddha, Sant Kabir, Guru Nanak, Dadu, Sant Tulsi Das, Sant Paltu, Swami Ramkrishna, Sant Tulsi Sahab, Baba Devi, etc. you will get one and only one way to attain salvation. There will never be a little bit difference among their views on Drishti Yoga (the Yoga of Vision) and Surat-Shabda Yoga (the Yoga of Sound) for self-realization and God-realization. (TheSantMat.com)
"Without the Saints, O Tulsi, we are tossed about endlessly. Without the merciful, compassionate Master, aeon after aeon we rove." (Shabdavali of Param Sant Tulsi Sahib of Hathras)
Meditate
The individual soul (jiva), bound by illusion (maya), remains in the cycle of death and birth. This is the cause of one's suffering. In order to escape from this cycle of death and rebirth we must experience realization of the Supreme Being. (Maharshi Mehi, The Principles of Sant Mat)
"The individual soul is an inseparable part of the Supreme Being." (Maharshi Mehi, The Principles of Sant Mat)
Sant Namdev: "Whatever man thinketh, that he obtaineth. If he were to dwell on the Absolute........he would become immortal." (Adi Granth)
Tulsi Sahib said: "When the Surat-disciple meets the Shabd-guru, the path will be traversed."
O Guru ! You let my consciousness ascend the sky.
Kindly let me catch the current of seven melodies that is the Quintessential One,
After allowing me to catch the support of your Radiant Being,
Let me have a glimpse of your highly resplendent Vision.
(Padavali of Maharshi Mehi)
"One who is called the disciple of a True Guru should get up early in the morning and meditate on the Guru's Nam. He should put in efforts to bathe in the Pond of Nectar early in the morning." (Adi Granth)
Surat -- Attention
The term "Surat" means: Attention or individual consciousness, the attention of the Soul, the ability of the Soul to concentrate within, and experience the bliss of inner regions, Self-absorbed intelligent Energy, Spirit.
Surat Shabd Yoga: Surat refers to spirit and Shabd to the Sound Current; hence, it is the union the soul with Shabd; the spiritual exercise by which the Current of Consciousness is applied to the hearing of the Sound within; joining the mind and the Attention to the Sound Current. Surat Shabd Yoga: Union (Yoga) of the Soul (Surat) with the Inner Light and Sound of God (Shabd).
"A human being's attention is the most precious treasure he possesses." (Edward Salim Michael, "The Law of Attention - Nada Yoga and the Way of Inner Vigilance")
Quality of Concentration in Meditation: "Single-pointedness results in absolute concentration, which causes ascension (vertical rise) enabling one to move onto a higher level or stage. This way it would be possible to transcend all illusory sheaths [subtle bodies, astral, causal, etc...]." (Maharshi Mehi Paramahans, The Way of Liberation)
Sant Ravidas [Raidas]: When the soul (surat) mergeth into the Sound (Shabd) and becometh one with it, then one obtaineth the supreme Bliss. The lamp burneth inside, 0 Ravidas, and Divine Bliss ariseth within. Steeped in meditation with one-pointed attention, practice devotion to God, 0 Ravidas. Let the automatic repetition be continued within, Reverberating the True Naam.
"From the Source of the Ocean opens a Window of Light. Awaken that resplendent Light within thee....Repeat the name of the Lord and secure Him." (Shabdavali of Param Sant Tulsi Sahib of Hathras)
"Moment by moment gather thy soul and hold it at the Eye Center. Cleanse thou the mirror of thy mind, and catch the Divine Melody with thy soul. If thy longing is keen, thou shalt pierce the veil and attain the Quintessence." (Shabdavali of Param Sant Tulsi Sahib of Hathras)
"Within thine own self, behold the splendor of thy Beloved. In the pupil of thine eye is a mole, wherein is hidden the entire mystery. Peep within and behold thou what lieth beyond this dark curtain. The secret of the fourteen realms will, for certain, be disclosed to thee. Let thy attention not slip, see that thou art ever vigilant." (Shabdavali of Sant Tulsi Sahib of Hathras)
"I beheld in the firmament an inverted well, and was filled with resplendence of Light within." (Shabdavali of Sant Tulsi Sahib of Hathras)
Tulsi Sahib: "The disciple sees within himself the Akash (sky) which is like an inverted well, and merges his Surat [soul's attention] in it."
The glittering point between the two eyebrows is visible, O brothers! Closing your eyelids, try to see. Let the two currents of light converge at the central point of the eyebrows. Fix your gaze and cross your bodily sphere. Enter the egg of the universe. The sky, studded with stars, looks so wonderful. Light, like the earthern lamp, is visible that eliminates the darkness of the closed eyes. The incomparable Moonlight, unique in itself is spread in all corners. And the light of the young Sun also radiates beautifully. Surat, with its spiritual vision, catches the multiple Sounds without being impaired. O individual souls! Catching these Sounds with a Surat-like rope, traverse the final abode, which is the real home. Mehi has revealed this mystery, the Quintessential One. One who serves Guru without any cleverness, has no difficulty in reaching the real home. (Padavali of Maharshi Mehi)
The Quintessential One along with Surat at the final stage disappears. The very stage of Soundlessness, Wordlessness or Namelessness is entirely different. According to Mehi that stage is devoid of dualism. Surat [soul], merging with the Absolute, never returns to the physical world. (Padavali of Maharshi Mehi)
Kabir: I went looking for Him, and lost myself;
The drop merged with the Sea.
Who can find it now?
Looking and looking for Him, I lost myself;
The Sea merged with the drop.
Who can find it now?
"The drop merges in the Ocean and becomes one with IT." (Param Sant Tulsi Sahib)
YouTube: Anurag Sagar Video:
YouTube: The Light-Bearers:
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
True Satsang: Association with the Eternal Truth or God
True Satsang: Association with the Eternal Truth or God
Sant Mat Quote of the Day:
"The place where people are always talking about the glory of the Lord and of the way to increase love and devotion in the Holy Feet of the True Lord, and about the secrets of the path of Surat Shabd Yoga, is true Satsang." (Exalted Precepts/Guru Updesh, Huzur Maharaj, Agra, India)
Below is from the book, The Harmony of All Religions, Chapter Seven: Sant Mat:
The word satsang is comprised of two words: sat and sang. What is sat?
Sat is that which can never be destroyed and is ever-existent. It is the essential element, indestructible and beyond the limitations of time. And it is Truth or Being. Sang means association or contact. Thus, the word satsang refers to association or coming into contact with Sat (Truth).
In the Bhagavad Gita Lord Krishna states:
"Whatever is Truth always exists and is never non-existent. That which is non Truth has no existence whatsoever." (2:16)
Satsang can be stratified in to following categories:
The Three Levels of Satsang
Level One: The First Kind of Satsang (Association with God):
What then is this element which is indestructible, has always been constant and will forever remain as such? This principle is the Supreme Being of the universe. Association with this Being, in reality, is association with Truth (satsang). But, what is it that could associate with this Supreme Being? Is it the body or the senses? The answer is that it is neither of these two. It is only apart from the body and senses that we will be able to associate with the Supreme Being. This is because it is only our soul that is an inseparable part of the Divine. It is only we (our soul) that are capable of merging with the Divine. Our individual soul is truth, and also, the Supreme Being is Truth. True satsang is the unity of the soul with the Supreme Truth. This is the highest kind of satsang. However, this highest kind of satsang, unity with the Divine, does not occur suddenly. This category of satsang requires many lifetimes of good actions samskaras (spiritual imprints and tendencies).
Level Two: The Second Kind of Satsang (Association with the Saints):
Sant Tulsidas Ji emphasizes the association with the saints for the realization of the Divine:
"The association of the saints brings association with the Divine, and alliance with people who are engrossed in the world leads the way back to this world again and again."
To attain Ultimate Liberation it is essential to have association with the saints. Saints, those who have realized the true form of God, become that True Form. The accomplished great beings who have attained unity with the Divine, and who have experienced the Supreme Being even while living in this body, have become the Supreme Being [meaning they have become one with their true Divine Form]. Association with these saints is this second category of satsang. However, finding such a saint is not an easy task. A true saint is rare and difficult to find.
Sant Tulsidas explains in the Ramacharitmanas:
"Without accumulation of many good deeds one will be unable to gain the association of a great saint."
When our good karmas permit, we are able to come to experience the association of these sentient beings. A more important point is that even if we have a direct encounter with such a saint, we often do not have the wisdom to be able to recognize a genuine sage.
A great Sant Tulsi Sahab states the difficulty in recognizing a saint:
"If someone says, 'I have recognized a saint,' then I put my hands on my ears in astonishment." [It is not an easy task.]
If it were possible for ordinary people to recognize saints, then why, since antiquity, have so many great saints, sages, and prophets have been tortured, maimed and killed? Many saints throughout the ages have had to face horrible atrocities. This simply would not have happened if people were able to recognize the genuine great saints.
Level Three: The Third Kind of Satsang (Association with the Words and Writings of Ancient Sages and Saints):
In daily life we need the guidance of a great sage or saint. Even though we might hear about or encounter many so called mahatmas or sadhus, the task of finding and identifying an accomplished guide is difficult. A truly great sage is a rarity. So, in consideration of this, how would satsang (association with a true saint) be possible? The answer is that we can study the teachings of the great saints of the past, because in their teaching, we will find the elaboration of the Truth. This then is the third category of satsang. Generally, when we speak of satsang, it is this third category that is meant. This kind of satsang includes the study of scriptures and the words and writings of the saints and prophets of the past.
As we continue diligently in this third type of satsang, we accumulate the meritorious karmas which will lead to the meeting with a true saint. Then we will be able to do the second category of satsang and will have a good fortune of listening to the words of realized beings who presently reside among us. As we continue in association with a great saint, and with the saint's blessings, we will gradually begin to meditate and undertake the prescribed spiritual disciplines. By diligently practicing these disciplines, we will one day, experience the first category of satsang -- the association with the Supreme. When we have thus accomplished the highest category of satsang, our life's ultimate purpose will be fulfilled.
We will now examine some of the scriptures and the sayings of saints in this regard:
In the Yajur Veda, satsang is known as the Buddhi yoga (dhiyam). This is the yoga of intellectually discerning the truth. The Yajur Veda elaborates on the significance of the Buddhi yoga:
"O Dear Aspirants! In order to realize the essential form of the Supreme Being, first practice the Buddhi yoga (satsang), then Manas yoga (practice mantra and focus on the Divine form), and the Yoga of Light (Dristi yoga). By these practices you will establish the ground for the realization of Divine Union."
In the Maha Upanishad, satsang is considered essential for Liberation:
"On the gate of liberation are found four gate keepers endowed with wisdom. These four are: discipline, thoughtfulness (reflection), contentment and association with saints."
Sant Tulsidas Ji sings in the praise of satsang:
"Without the association of great saints, there is neither discourse of the Divine nor the understanding of the scriptures. Without these two, selfish attachment does not loosen its grip. And without dispelling attachment to the world one cannot attain the realm of the Divine and the true devotion that is essential to realize the Divine."
Further, he says:
"Wisdom, fame, supreme salvation, attainment of all powers and kindliness are all realized by the power of satsang. No other means are prescribed in the Vedas to attain these."
Sant Kabir Sahab elaborates on the purpose of satsang:
"Discord and delusion can be removed by the power of the association of saints. For those who associate with saints, suffering dissolves and they will remain immersed in joy. Joy arises from noble company and pain arises from association with the wicked, says Kabir, go to a place where saints dwell and their association is possible."
A great woman saint, Sahjo Bai, has also said:
"Whoever comes to satsang is released from the confinements of individual caste, status and color. Even the flow of dirty water, upon reaching the holy River Ganga, becomes Ganga (loses its impurity and comes to be known as the holy river)."
Sant Sundar Das Ji says:
"All people have a mother and father as well as relatives and friends. It is easy to obtain sons and wives, but it is very difficult to find true satsang (association of true saints)."
Sant Tulsi Sahab says:
"O Aspirant! Perform satsang by subduing the mind and taking refuge in saints. Keep in your heart a ceaseless burning desire to be at the feet (tutelage) of saints."
Maharishi Mehi Paramahans Ji asks his aspirants to perform both kinds of satsang:
"Dear Aspirants! Each day strive to do both kinds of satsang: inner and outer. Outer satsang is listening to the teachings of great saints and studying the sacred texts. Inner satsang is the practice of one-pointed meditation."
Yogi Panchanan Bhattacharya Ji says:
"By association with a pure soul the mind becomes pure and the darkness of attachment is dispelled. In attending to these quotes from different saints it becomes clear that satsang is vital and very necessary for any serious spiritual seeker."
-- Swami Sant Sevi Ji Paramahansa, The Harmony of All Religions
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