Satsang Quotes: Life is Short -- Meditate, Pray for Grace and Progress Within

Satsang Quotes: Life is Short -- Meditate, Pray for Grace and Progress Within

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

What is to be done tomorrow, do it today. What is to be done today, do it now. (popular saying of Kabir)

This world's existence is limited to two days of 'today' and 'tomorrow'. Do not develop attachment to it, because everyone will separate from you. If you want your well-being, you must concentrate your mind on the lotus feet of your Satguru. Act in accordance with his teachings of True Knowledge and this will bring true happiness and peace to your life. (Kabir 1008 Vani)

I pay homage in all humility at the feet of my Master, whose grace has revealed the Mystery of Light (Nirat) and Sound (Surat). (Param Sant Tulsi Sahib, "Ghat Ramayana")

Do not live even a single day without inner meditation. (from the last words of Baba Devi Sahab)

Living in this world for a short period is good, but instead of wasting one's life doing meaningless things, it is advisable to dedicate it to remembering God. What is the use of living for millions of years if one did not dedicate his time to self-introspection and remembering God, i.e. such life is a total waste; who will keep an account of it?

My real happiness lies in the supreme 'Self.' And the rest in this world is nothing but distress. With one's mind, voice and deeds, one should remember RAM with a pious heart. Kabir Saheb says: 'The essence of life is in remembering God only.'

The mind is very unsteady. It is not the type that would remember God just like that. It will remember God only when it is poked with the goad of true Knowledge [Gnosis, direct experience]. Kabir Saheb says: '...and then know for sure that this mind will not deviate and will engage itself in remembering God.'

Concentrate your mind and remember the Supreme Being without saying anything. Close the outside doors, i.e. quieten your sensory organs and detach yourself from everything. Open the inside doors of your heart, i.e. open yourself internally and concentrate on meditating on God and remembering him.

Remembering God is the simplest and easiest path which has already been shown by the Satguru. With the help of this device I remember God with each and every breath of mine, and I am sure this will enable me to see him one day, i.e. uttering the name of God continuously. Simply remembering God all the time is the easiest process (Sahaj) of leading a spiritual life which leads the devotee to his goal.

You are remembering God in your heart. God resides in the same heart. You will get a huge store of true Knowledge in this very heart, i.e. you will find God and his transcendental Knowledge where you will find your supreme 'Self.'

Devotion through remembering God brings every happiness to life and removes every distress of mind. Kabir Saheb says: 'Remember God! It has a wonderfully powerful attraction. By continuously remembering God, a time comes when the devoted servant (devotee) and the master (God) become one, i.e. he attains self-realization.

Utter the name of RAM (God) continuously. Kabir says, 'Only devotees can understand the Mystery of the fact that there is nothing as compared to remembering God.'

It is a bliss remembering God even for a moment. But only those, who practice it, know it. Remembering God is so easy that one does not have to spend a single penny on it. In fact one does not have to make any extra efforts to have the best results.

Prayers of Guru Kabir

"'0 Supreme Being! I have become like You by remembering You all the time. There are no more self-conceit, attachments and desires of the world in me. I sacrifice myself on the true Knowledge of Your name, remembering which enables me to see You all around. There is nothing that exists other than You.'

'0 the Eternal RAM of the temple of my heart! I lost 'my' existence in remembering You continuously. I have become one with You. I exist not without You now. My mind does not wander about any more. I and You are one now.' RAM." (Guru Kabir from Kabir 1008 Vani, compiled by Lalchand Doohan Jigyasu, translated by Kunwar Anil Kumar, Manoj Publications, Delhi, India)

Very exalted is the status of the Satguru and very sublime His religion. He has shown the Inaccessible Region. Surat [the soul] ascends to the gateway to Sat Lok [Eternal Realm of Truth] and witnesses a spectacle which is beyond the reach and comprehension of ascetics. Every day she visits the region of Shyam Set, i. e., the Third Eye. Ascending above the senses of perception, she sees the path within, and gains a vision of that region. She is dazed on seeing the Refulgence of the Beloved. Her attention remains riveted on Him, and she is oblivious of her body and mind. All the barriers on the way to the Beloved are removed. She quickly ascends one mansion after another. She rids herself of all her troubles by bathing at the Ghat of Triveni [confluence of three sacred rivers]. Says Tulsi, from the time she became acquainted with the Beloved she, enjoying the bliss of mansions after mansions, reaches her Beloved Lord. (Param Sant Tulsi Sahib, Shabd 72, Shabdavali)

0 Radhasoami! [Radhaswami, the Lord of the Soul]. Kindly shower your grace on me and 0 Anami, favour me by making a gift of devotion and its modus operandi to me! My mind and my surat [attention-faculty of the soul -- inner seeing] have joined together in coming to you (imploring you for your grace), and with your Refulgence (noor-i-qahir) in their heart of hearts (hiya). Kindly take both of them under your benign protection and shelter and make them perceive the path to your Inaccessible Sphere. 0 Lord! Enable me to behold your Luminous Form in the Jyoti (flame) at the Third Eye and to raise my surat to the One Thousand-Petalled Lotus (Sahas-dal Kanwal) so that I may go up beyond, and get into the Crooked Tunnel and perceive the Sphere of Trikuti [Causal Plane] with great jubilation and liveliness. (Prayer of Swami Ji Maharaj, Sar Bachan Radhasoami Poetry, II, Gupta Translation, M.G. Publishers, Agra)

Vegetarian Diet and Following Sant Mat, the Path of the Masters

Vegetarian Diet and Following Sant Mat, the Path of the Masters

Ahimsa (Non-Violence) and Diet

The following, on the reason why we advocate following the vegetarian diet, is by Swami Sant Sevi Ji Maharaj from the book, The Harmony of All Religions, published by Maharshi Mehi Ashram:

Sant Sevi Ji: The saints have addressed the sin of violence with particular attention to the foods which are eaten. Foods which are produced by killing living beings, as well as foods which are not pure and fresh, are considered tamasic. Consumption of these is prohibited by the teachings of the saints. This includes animal products such as meat, fish, and eggs. These foods inhibit the clarity of the mind and the health of the body. There is an old saying: "Whatever kind of food we take in, its properties will also fill our mind." A parallel saying is "Whatever we eat, just so will our breath smell [indicates the visible effect of food]."

Further, Kabir Sahab says: "The kind of food and drink which we consume directly influences how our mind will become. Even the quality of water which we drink will influence our speech."

These words of Kabir Sahib are not merely rhetorical conjecture, but represent direct experience. Drink one glass of milk and observe how your mind is affected. Next, drink a glass of wine and observe how the mind is affected. Or, observe the effect of eating a sweet in comparison to the effect of taking a very small dose of opium. In this way, you can see for yourself how our mind is affected by what we ingest. These are extreme examples, with noticeable effects. But even when the effect is subtle and barely noticeable, we are nevertheless affected by the food we consume.

A great yogi named Bhupendranath Ji Sanyal has said: "It is preferable to always avoid the consumption of flesh and fish. This is because in the very cells of these animals there might be bad diseases. But even more significantly, the natural vibration of these creatures is absorbed into the blood. This can create agitation and even sickness, and will destroy the natural calmness of the mind. Also, one must not take intoxicants, as this is a great breach of the spiritual path and natural duty (dharma). [Under the influence of intoxicants people are unable to discern the right path of action]."

Therefore, we must be disciplined in what we eat and drink, and by being disciplined, our wealth and spiritual path are protected. This world becomes agreeable, and so does the next world, since we won't be incurring the karmas from killing other living beings. (Sant SeviJi)

Below is from an article I wrote about the vegetarian diet and Sant Mat

All past and present Masters of Sant Mat advocate following the vegetarian diet. In fact, being vegetarian it is a requirement in order to be initiated into the meditation practice of Sant Mat, which is called Surat Shabd Yoga, Meditation upon the inner Light and Sound of God.

Sant Mat is a vegetarian Path for ethical, spiritual, and theological reasons. The Masters teach that foods are of three kids: Satvik, Rajsik, and Tamsik. This last category of foods, which includes all flesh foods, is to be completely avoided. Satvik, the first category, includes: grains, beans, vegetables, fruits, seeds, nuts, and dairy. Satvik foods are considered by Mystics to promote relaxation, meditation, and spiritual experience.

The bad karma and other negative effects of flesh-eating darkens one's vision of inner Light, interfering with meditation. It's interesting to notice that the Satvik diet of Sant Mat, of Hinduism and the Yoga Philosophy of India is also: the life-extension diet, the anti-cancer diet, the diet for antioxidants and most of the other plant-based nutrients, AND the diet of the Light & Sound mystics, East and West.

The notion that vegetarianism is "cultural" and confined mostly to India is the inaccurate assumption of some. It is true that many conventional world religions here in the West condone flesh-eating, but if you do some comparative mysticism you'll soon discover that the esoteric traditions which have practiced Light mysticism, Sound mysticism, and Ascension mysticism through higher planes of heavens are all in agreement about the need for contemplative mystics to abstain from the flesh. The list of Western vegetarian paths includes: Pythagoreans, followers of the Hermetic philosophy of Egypt, the Sethians, Theraputae, Essenes (and other Light-mystics within Judaism), the original Jewish Christians called Ebionites (see The Gospel of Jesus -- In Search of His Original Teachings , John Davidson, Element Books), the Gnostic religions, Manichaeans, some Catholic monasteries, monasteries of the Orthodox Church -- including the great mystery school atop Mount Athos in Greece, and the Sufi mystics of Islam who practice Zikar of the Spirit, Light, and Sound. Most every path that advocates a present-tense spirituality about re-entering Paradise or going Back to Eden during this life teaches vegetarianism.

Master Kirpal Singh (Sant Mat Master): "Those who take up the practices concerning the lower centers in the body, do take meat -- the Mohammedans and people of other religions also. But those who are anxious to rise above body consciousness and go into the Beyond have of necessity to eschew all that. This is the Path I have put before you. Liberation or salvation is something which starts only when you rise above body consciousness. For that reason, vegetarianism is the first essential." (The Night is a Jungle, published by Ruhani Satsang, also Sant Bani Ashram)

Guru Kabir says, "The man who eats meat is a demon in human form. Keep away from him -- his company will ruin your meditation." (Kabir: the Weaver of God's Name , RS Books, Radha Soami Satsang Beas) The harshest words that Kabir ever spoke were directed against the slaughter or consumption of innocent animals.

A Western Master of Sound & Light by the name of Pythagoras once said, "Our Earth has abundance of such pure and harmless foods and there is no need for us to partake of meals for which blood has to be shed and innocent life sacrificed."

Jai Guru, Naamaste',

James Bean