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#455 From: SantMatMysticism <santmat_mystic@...>
Date: Mon Oct 11, 2010 5:43 am
Subject: Within This Body - Mystic Poem
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Within This Body - Mystic Poem of Sant Tulsi Sahib



(English version by Ivan M. Granger)


The Sant Mat Quote of the Day:
{"The affairs of the world will go on forever. 
Do not delay the practice of meditation." -- Milarepa}




Within this body
breathes the secret essence.
Within this body
beats the heart of the Vedas.
 
Within this body
shines the entire Universe,      
so the saints say.
 
Hermits, ascetics, celibates
- all are lost
seeking Him      
in endless guises.
 
Seers and sages perfectly parrot
the scriptures and holy books,      
blinded by knowledge.      
 
Their pilgrimage,      
and fasting,      
and striving            
but delude.
 
Despite their perfect practice,
they discover no destination.
 
Only the saints
who know the body's heart
have attained the Ultimate, O Tulsi.
 
Realize this, and you've found your freedom      
(while teachers trapped in tradition      
know only the mirage            
in the mirror).


#456 From: SantMatMysticism <santmat_mystic@...>
Date: Wed Oct 13, 2010 12:25 am
Subject: Observe Thyself
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Observe Thyself: It is illogical for anyone to hope to ascend to Higher Planes of being and of consciousness while retaining hold of his old self, weighed down with this curious inner sleep in which he is habitually cradled and lulled throughout his life.


The Sant Mat Quote of the Week:





From, "The Law of Attention - Nada Yoga and the Way of Inner Vigilance",
By Edward Salim Michael, Published by Inner Traditions, Rochester, Vermont: 

In taking all these important observations into consideration and earnestly reflecting upon them, a sincere seeker cannot fail to see the great need for him to study and get to know himself - a self-study that is extremely necessary, forming another important aspect of his spiritual search and practice that must, from the start, accompany all his other spiritual exercises and meditation. The special knowledge of himself that results from such self-study will also bring with it a particular understanding of life and people that will be of immense value to himself for his maturation and his inner transformation.

Through all that, he will thus come to see how indispensable it is for him to learn to be more conscious of his actions and of how he performs them, so that wherever he goes he will be heedful as to what he brings of himself to his environment and to the people he comes into contact with, for the consequences of which he is incontestably responsible. He will discover that the very effort to become more vigilant in life and accountable for his actions will not only help develop his powers of concentration but will also inevitably give rise to another state of presence - a highly active state of inner presence, and a sensitive way of being and of feeling himself that are not his customary ones.

The seeker also has to muster the will and courage to compel himself to go through the disagreeable trial of repeatedly seeing his various unprofitable leanings and hardened habits with all that they contain in the form of disguised or open unfriendliness, lust, envy, conceit, and so on (which, through long use, have become accepted as normal conditions of existence without ever being put into question), and trying to discern from what aspect of himself they originate, what incites their manifestations - whether they are stimulated only from outside or from within himself as well - and note especially the manner in which he generally heedlessly responds to the surreptitious callings of these avid impulses without reflecting upon the long trail of adverse effects they can leave behind on others afterward and which may lead to still further unknown repercussions somewhere.

He must learn to become attentive to what comes out of his mouth and descry what lies concealed behind all the things he says or repeats mechanically. He must discover what motivates his automatic actions and reactions, his inner lies, contradictions, fears, flatteries, and so on, while at the same time taking the greatest care not to start despising himself, either consciously or unconsciously, for seeing his undesirable traits (a negative attitude that will only impede his transformation). And, needless to repeat, he should also never omit to get to know all that is noble, upright, and pure in him, taking support and fortitude from it in his struggle to rise to the higher realms of his being, so that he will no longer misuse the miraculous gifts of his thinking, feeling, hearing, sight, speech, and all the different parts of his body.

He must remember that it is illogical for anyone to hope to ascend to Higher Planes of being and of consciousness while retaining hold of his old self, weighed down with this curious inner sleep in which he is habitually cradled and lulled throughout his life - a truly dramatic and strange sleep that is the cause of all the misunderstandings and the tragic actions that are indiscriminately committed in the world!

It is necessary again to call to mind that it is impossible for the higher aspect of the seeker's nature to coexist with his habitual state of being, no more than can day and night exist together; the appearance of the one will ineluctably eclipse the other. When the ordinary side of his being is in the foreground, dominating, then the higher aspect of himself will unavoidably retreat into the background and cease to make its presence felt. And when the higher aspect of himself reigns in the foreground, the ordinary side of his being will inevitably recede into the background and be lost to view, just as the rising of the sun and the coming of the light cannot but chase away the darkness of the night.

If an aspirant has not been moved to feel the significance of and the profound need for this inner awakening, if he has not also seen the great necessity for him to study and know himself better - and thus start striving with all his might and sincerity to become more aware of himself (not only when he is alone but also when he is with others), vigilantly watching over what he brings of himself to people-he may never perceive when, and in what manner, he is answerable for the conditions he creates in the world through the particular way he vibrates in himself, and through what he inflicts on those around him at certain moments.

Every human being carries with him an atmosphere that reflects what he is in himself, impregnating with it the place he habitually lives in and spreading to and permeating his surroundings, either positively or negatively. Whether he is dispersed, tense, agitated, irritated, depressed, or angry, it will unavoidably touch the being of those who come into contact with him, contaminating them and leaving a definite trace in them afterward in some degree or another. This, in its turn, will have an effect on other people also, be it ever so faint.

Emotions are highly contagious. It is possible for just one individual to cause panic among a big crowd, or even excite a whole nation into a state of terrifying frenzy and induce them to commit the most horrible acts of violence. On a much less obvious scale, someone may influence the feelings of another in such a manner as to leave him afterward gay or sad, exalted or disheartened, peaceful or perturbed, without one or the other necessarily realizing what has taken place secretly between them. All this is why it is extremely important for the aspirant carefully to survey himself and be highly circumspect as to what he transmits of himself to the people he lives with and to his environment, the consequences of which will mysteriously come back to him in some form or another, eventually bringing him either contentment or grief.

It is impossible not to be struck with the luminous atmosphere that surrounds Saints and Sages, an atmosphere that they carry with them wherever they go and that extends itself beyond their physical frame, leaving everywhere in the world a positive influence and rich heritage for humanity to imbibe long after they have departed from it. They illuminate their surroundings with the beauty and radiance of their wisdom, and their impressive bearing, unusual intelligence, and immense compassion cannot but deeply touch and elevate all those who come into their path.

The aspirant must come to see how vital it is for his spiritual growth and emancipation to seek at all times to be extremely vigilant and careful about what he does and especially how he does it, so that what he brings of himself to other people will not have a disturbing effect on their being afterward but will, on the contrary, help elevate them and be an example for them that they will unconsciously wish to emulate.

The seeker should also - especially in the beginning, when he is not yet strong enough - be very wary of the sort of places he wants to frequent, as well as the kind of people he allows himself to mix with. For, through the unfavourable atmosphere that may reign in these places, or through what may emanate from the being of these people, he can at such moments receive influences and feelings that may rob him in an instant of the fruit of many days or even weeks of painful spiritual struggles - the loss of which may afterward leave him in a sufficiently disturbed state that it will perhaps take him a very long time to recover, before it becomes possible for him to start again his spiritual practice and meditation with the right inner attitude.

Thus, the aspirant can see how necessary it is for him to have continuously to safeguard the quality of his spiritual work against deterioration until he has gathered enough force to be able to withstand certain outer difficulties without succumbing to them so easily as heretofore - a particular force that will one day make it practicable for him to assist others in their own spiritual quest and strivings. But before anyone can help another in this delicate domain, he must first have acquired discernment and be capable of seeing and hearing rightly - and that is only possible to the degree to which he can maintain in front of another, for some length of time at least, a state of intense inner presence, connected to his Supreme Being, which is the only way by which he can look and listen impartially, rendering the aid he gives effective. The seeker has ultimately to become a living spiritual fire through whose flames other such fires may be kindled. ////////



#457 From: SantMatMysticism <santmat_mystic@...>
Date: Thu Oct 14, 2010 7:29 am
Subject: Chand Bhardwaj of the Sawan Adhyatmic Satsang Society on Spiritual Awakening Radio
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Dr. Chand Bhardwaj of the Sawan Adhyatmic Satsang Society of Delhi, India on Spiritual Awakening Radio: Two Programs on Inter-Faith Harmony, Spirituality, Evolution, Science, Scriptures, Sant Mat, Saints, and Meditation

 


About the Photo Above, from the book, "Towards Eternity", published by the Sawan Adhyatmic Society (with headquarters located in Delhi): "Sant Rajinder Singh Ji came to visit Maharajji [Sant Chander Prabha Ji Maharaj] and gave darshan to the sangat at the ashram."
 


Dr. Chand Bhardwaj, Sawan Adhyatmic Satsang Society, Delhi, India

 
*Click the Link To Hear Part One (Program Length: 60 Minutes):
 
*Click the Link To Hear Part Two (Program Length: 60 Minutes): 
 

Below is a "Gist of the Teachings", by Dr. Chand Bhardwaj, a very nice summery on evolution and the spiritual journey from a Sant Mat perspective. Bio-data is below that.
 
All for the love of Wisdom and radio,
James Bean
Radio Website - Page of Archived Shows
Facebook Fan Page:
Twitter:
 
 
Gist of the Teachings
 
The spiritual origin of universe is EKAM BAHU SHYAM fragmentation of PRAKASH emanating of SHABAD. We are all souls as fragments of Light and ever connected to our Source through the Shabad. We as souls belong to the source: GOD - the jyoti swarup at the center of the universe where TIME AND MATERIAL do not exist.
 
One of the souls known as KAAL requested the Source regarding his wish to create a TIME BOUND material universe. With the wish granted, KAAL created basic elements as per Mendeleev's chart by emitting different colours of lights converting into mist and clouds further solidifying and EXPLODING in to nuclear explosions. Thus the molten LAVA and the elements such as hydrogen and helium fused to create SUNS. These scattered in a rhythmic movement to form billions and trillions of STARS and galaxies.
 
This expanding universe is bound by the quantum field to revolve in predestined movements from the beginning of time till its END. Some of the comets hit the molten earth to form seas and mountains to evolve life on earth. One of the SOULS known as KAAL requested the GOD to send the souls to his TIME BOUND MATERIAL WORLD to visit and feel his creation. The paper deals with the journey of the SOUL - how it acquired the MIND from the UNIVERSAL MIND OF KAAL as laws of nature: how soul and mind used the MATERIAL created by TIME to form life on earth in the form of single cell amoeba that had the capacity to become from one to many.
 
The soul as intelligence with its outer expression of ATTENTION is connected to its SOURCE (GOD) with SHABAD, NAAD, KALMA, the WORD explained in all the religious scriptures. THE SOUL as ATTENTION received the intuitions continuously through the SHABAD from its Source to create the CROWN OF CREATION: THE HUMAN BODY, crossing 8.4 million species. The physical mind embedded with the laws of nature along with the information of past and future through the universal, causal and astral mind, was as a guide, but later became the master and does not allow the soul to get back to the SOURCE.
 
HUMANITY needs to understand how time and material has trapped the SOUL in KAAL CHAKRA by separately understanding: SOUL as ATTENTION, has GODLY qualities such as LOVE, COMPASSION, and MERCY. MIND has qualities like LUST, GREED, ANGER, ATTACHMENTS, EGO, etc. And the BODY deals with HUNGER, CLOTHS, HOUSING, VANITIES OF THE WORLD.
 
To de-link ATTENTION from mind and body and link it to its Source is the technique of prayer in all religions this allows the qualities of the soul to peculate from everyone's mind and body to achieve peace and harmony for all civilizations.
 
Regards, 
Dr. Chander Kanwar Bhardwaj
 
 
Bio-data: Dr. Chander Kanwar Bhardwaj Ph.D.
 
Education 
 
1969- Business Management from Faculty of Management, Delhi .
2007-  Doctor of Philosophy From Inter Cultural Open University at Opeinde, The Netherlands
 
Experience 
 
1969… - Automotive Enterprises, Delhi, India,  CEO
1* Developed various technologies related to automobile components, castings, steel alloys, processes, etc...
2* R&D project,  Development of creep resistant steel for Railways in association with National metallurgical Lab, Jamshedpur.
3* Setup two turnkey melting projects for Indian Defense Ministry in Muradnagar and Dehradun
1982 … - All India Induction Furnace Association (AIIFA)
Delhi, India, Honorary General Secretary
4* Developed the first micro steel plants in the country
5* Was involved in promotion and growth of the industry throughout India
6* Member Emeritus All India Induction Furnaces Association Delhi
7* Former Member CII
1982-1989 - Inductotherm, USA,  Business Development Manager
8* Sales of induction melting furnace projects in India.
 
1989… - Coordinator of some latest technology based/R&D projects with Department of Science and Technology (DST), Ministry of Science & Technology, Govt. of India New Delhi
 
Associated with Russian Academies of Sciences for Research & Development   Work/assignments:
 
a) Viniitmash export   (Moscow) Russia
b) Institute of Inorganic Chemistry ( Novosibirsk) Russia
c)   Institute of Thermophysics  ( Novosibirsk) Russia
d) Institute of Metals Superplasticity Problem (IMSP), Ufa Russia
e) Associated with Bellorussian Powder Metallurgical Research Association, Minsk, Belarus
f) Radio Engineering Physics Institute, Moscow, Russian Academies of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
g) Associated with Inducto Steel, Pittsburg.  USA
h) Associated with “Technometal”, Germany: for the development of Induction Steel Refining System in association with Pittsburg University and inductotherm, USA
1993 onwards… - Aeroenergia  Ltd., Delhi, India, Managing Director
9* Coordinating for setting up  MIG air craft engines for use as power generators 8MW and hot exhaust air converted into air conditioning with absorption technology up to 16MW based on Natural gas for IIT Delhi, AIIMS, Delhi,  Delhi College of Engineering, Delhi and for other corporate companies                           
 
Designing and Development of Composite material compressed natural gas  Cylinders for Buses, Automobiles and Stationary Engines with JSS Engineering College, Noida and Khatkov institute of composite material, Moscow, Russia
 
Also, Associated Very Actively With; 1992 onwards -- Sawan Adhyatmic Satsang Society, Delhi, India.  -- General Secretary
 
1*  Conduct lectures in educational, industrial and other government and NGO institutions about meditation and its benefits
 
2*  Promote research in the field of mind, medicine and meditation by partnering with medical institutions
 
3*  2001 onwards – Life member.  
World association of Vedic studies, Atlanta, USA,
Help in organizing seminars and talks with Vedic scholars
Coordinator for Radio Engineering Physics Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow for  developing a Centre in All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, to study interaction of mind body and soul for studies of various radiation emanating from the human body, i.e., infrared radiation, microwave radiation, radio thermal radiation, acousto-thermal radiation, electrical radiation, magnetic radiation, Chemiluminescence’s radiation
 
These instruments can be used to monitor the effects of meditation, drugs, pain and other physical problems it can be used for monitoring in depth effects of  meditation  which can help in Self Regulation of Human Organism.
 
Former Faculty Member with Vivekananda Mission for its Centenary Celebration of Vivekananda Chicago mission at the Parliament of World Religions in Chicago USA
 
Elite Doctorate Degree (PhD.) in the discipline of intercultural management
For Peace and Harmony from the Intercultural open University, opeinde, The Netherlands
 
Life member WORLD ACADAMY OF SPIRITUAL SCIENCES, GANGA RAM HOSPITAL DELHI
 
Deliver lecture at various organizations, Schools and Colleges on the following subjects.
a)  Human Unity for International Peace and Harmony 
b)  Mind Meditation and Medication
c)  Mystery of death
d)  Spirituality is the Essence of all the Religions of the world.
Spirituality is not a Religion in it self, it is a unifying factor for the Humanity and God
e)  Co-relation between Scriptures, Science and Saints 
f)  Spiritual origin of the universe
g)  Creation of time bound material universe
h)  Universal MIND and how it governs the physical mind
i)  Co-relation of soul mind and body a logical and scientific explanation
j)  Super soul and soul its interconnection through the audible stream of life
k)  Stephen Hawking's "Brief History of Time" and spirituality
l)  Human body the conglomerate of hundred trillion cells (comprising of hundred trillion souls, minds and bodies of each cell)
m)  Spiritual origin of language from beyond (Vedic explanation of Para, Pashayanti, Madhyama and Baikhari) how mind contaminates the language originating from beyond
n)  Mind is nothing but information of Time (Based on past experiences it works on future)
o)  Binding all the religions together with the logical and scientific explanation of various scriptures regarding THE TECHNIQUE OF PRAYER which is the same in all the religions/faiths of the world
p)  The spirituality is EXPERIENTIAL
q)  After the EXPERIENCE the qualities of the SUPER SOUL flow and percolate from ones soul through the mind and body further through the senses of the body
r)  The qualities of the super soul are LOVE, COMPASSION, MERCY, PEACE, HARMONY, etc...



#458 From: SantMatMysticism <santmat_mystic@...>
Date: Sun Oct 17, 2010 8:03 pm
Subject: Inner Regions/Planes: Seeking, Finding, Being Troubled, Then Astonished, Ruling Over the All (Cosmos), Entering Into Heavenly Rest
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Inner Regions/Planes: Seeking, Finding, Being Troubled, Then Astonished, Ruling Over the All (Cosmos), Entering Into Heavenly Rest


CopticThomas-1.jpg picture by agochar
Gnostic-Kabbalah Chart of the Heavenly Realms By Zeke Li


Sant Mat Quote of the Day:
 
 
"If you are searching,
you must not stop
until you find.
When you find, however,
you will become troubled.
Your confusion will give way to astonishment.
In wonder you will reign over all things,
and enter into heavenly Rest."
(Yeshua, Gospel of Saint Thomas)


CopticThomas-1.jpg picture by agochar
Aman Sandhu's Santmat Chart of Inner Regions


"God is perceivable only through the soul. But our individual soul has become surrounded or covered by several sheaths or subtle bodies [astral, causal, etc...]. So long as it remains in the captivity of these various subtle bodies and the physical body, it will be under the knowledge of these bodies and organs only, will be under illusory knowledge only, and will not be able to realize God. In order to know Him, the Jivatma or the individual soul shall have to liberate itself from these bondage's. The one who is able to liberate himself from the body and subtle bodies, is able to lift himself beyond the universe, also." (From a Satsang Discourse of Param Poojya Shahi Swami Ji Maharaj)

"God, though present everywhere, is not perceived by our senses. Those initiated by an accomplished Master can see Him within themselves." (Maharshi Mehi)

"The path leading to God is within your heart. Enter into the ajna-chakra and you will find your Beloved. God is found not in a man-made Ka’ba, but in natural Ka’ba (holy place), within your own heart or self. Turn your attention within. You should listen attentively to the reverberating divine Sound. The celestial Sound is coming to take you back to the Source. Remember you cannot hear this with the physical ears. When you focus your gaze within ajna chakra and the consciousness in inverted inward your physical ears automatically will close and the inner ears will open. By that power with inner ears you can hear the celestial Sounds. The original Sound of the creation comes from the Abode of God and it will take you to God." (Swami Sant Sevi Ji Maharaj)

"Begin meditation with internally chanting or repeating the Guru-mantra-incantation (the charged words given by the Guru). And then try to visualize the radiant form or image of the Satguru in the still darkness of the inner sky (with eyes closed). Follow that with focusing your attention at the seat of the soul within, i.e. at the Third Eye or the Inner Eye or the Til Dwaar, by making the two streams of consciousness in your two eyes converge in a Point.

"When the two currents of consciousness meet in a Point, Divine Light appears within. Then, practice Surat Shabd Yoga (Yoga of Divine Sound) i.e., try to shift your attention to listening to the Divine Sounds or myriads of melodies (Anahad Naad) ringing inside. Listening to the Divine Sound destroys all the perversions, agitations and fickleness of
the mind.

"Ascending beyond or transcending myriads of sounds, try to identify and tune in to the Quintessential Unstruck Melody, called "Saar Shabd" or "Anaahat Naad" which alone is capable of taking you and merging you into oneness with the Supreme Lord; this is the ultimate deliverance, emancipation, or liberation." (Verses of Swami Sant Sevi Ji Maharaj)
 

CopticThomas-1.jpg picture by agochar
Maharshi Mehi Ashram Chart of Inner Regions

#459 From: SantMatMysticism <santmat_mystic@...>
Date: Wed Oct 20, 2010 1:04 am
Subject: Thomas - A Gnostic Gospel from a Parallel Universe or Past Life
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Thomas - A Gnostic Gospel from a Parallel Universe or Past Life 
By James Bean
Copyright October, 2010 - All Rights Reserved
 
 
In 1945 this mysterious ancient text known as the Gospel of Thomas was unearthed in Egypt along with forty nine other fascinating writings from the early days of monastic Christianity in the Egyptian desert. The Book of Thomas was also used as scripture by the Valentinian sect in Egypt and elsewhere around the Roman Empire in the Second and Third Centuries, a Gnostic movement with a version of Christianity that seemed much more "Eastern", in many ways closer to Hinduism and Buddhism. 
 
Meeting An Unembedded Messiah For the First Time
 
Have always been a fan of this contemplative "wisdom gospel", with its format of proverbs and parables. It contains absolutely no narrative whatsoever. It's comprised solely of one hundred and fourteen unvarnished sayings of Jesus, one after the other, and that's it. There is no commentary, no spin, no story. No more Roman centurions, scribes, pharisees, and locusts to block our view. Rather than being presented through the "lens" of others, the reader encounters a more direct, unfiltered historic Jesus. The picture goes from black and white to Hi-Def. The intention by those who compiled and circulated this collection is to encourage readers to deeply ponder each and every saying for themselves, leading them to their own personal insights and revelations, to internalise the words and be transformed by them - lectio divina.
 
This collection of sayings allegedly recorded by the Apostle Thomas has an definite allegiance to the Inner Circle of Hebrew Disciples or Ebionite Movement that was originally lead by the Apostle James of Jerusalem. "The disciples said to Jesus, 'We know that you are going to leave us. Who will be our leader?' Jesus said to them, 'No matter where you are you are to go to James the Just, for whose sake heaven and earth came into being.'" (Saying Twelve)
 
The Gospel of Thomas was missing for almost two millennia until three copies of it were almost miraculously discovered several decades ago: two sections of it written in Greek found at Oxyrhynchus, Egypt, and a more complete edition in the Coptic language found near Nag Hammadi buried under the sands of time in a clay storage jar. This lost book has been found, and now has it's own home page on the worldwide web. The "second coming" of Thomas has occurred - it is a "resurrected" or "reincarnated" book, if you will. Practically predicting it's own rediscovery the Book of Thomas says: "Know what is before your face, and what is hidden from you will be revealed to you. For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor anything buried which will not be raised." (Saying Five)
 
Though nowadays associated with Egypt, these surviving pages are copies of an even earlier Greek manuscript most likely originating from Syria, which was, and remains, home-base of the "Saint Thomas Branch of Christianity", the Syriac-Aramaic Church of the East. It is said that Saint Thomas during the First Century AD headed East, eventually ending up in India, where he spent the rest of his life. That's recorded in another holy book known as the Acts of Thomas, one of several writings in the Thomas tradition: Gospel of Thomas, Thomas the Spiritual Athlete, Psalms of Thomas, Infancy Gospel of Thomas, Acts of Thomas, and the Apocalypse of Thomas. For more on "Sayings Gospels", type the word "Logia" into the search box at Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logia
 
Summarising the Spiritual Message of the Gospel of Thomas in the Context of Syriac Mysticism
 
The Living Master said to his initiates: "What your own eyes cannot see, your human ears do not hear, your physical hands cannot touch, and what is inconceivable to the human mind - that I will give to you!" (Saying Seventeen) "Whoever drinks from my mouth will become like me; I myself shall become that person, and the Hidden Things will be revealed." (Saying One Hundred Eight) The Master taught his disciples that in order to see the spiritual realm, they must "fast from the world" and enter into heavenly repose (sabbath rest) -- rise above body-consciousness, mental impressions, memories, worries, and agitations. They must set aside some time to rest spiritually, to temporarily close their physical eyes (and ears) to the outside world in order to "see the Father", the Supreme Being, with the eye of the soul. (Saying Twenty Seven)
 
Quite frequently mystics describe inner visions as something that spontaneously appears when they reach a certain level of interior awareness called "pure prayer", a term used for what we might call "meditation". The Egyptian mystic Evagrius wrote: "The offspring of pure prayer is swallowed up by the Spirit. From this point on, the mind is beyond prayer, and prayer has ceased from it now that it has found something even more excellent. No Longer does the mind actually pray, but there is a gaze of wonder at the Inaccessible Things which do not belong to the world of mortal beings." ("The Syriac Fathers on Prayer and the Spiritual Life") "We have come from the Light". (from Gospel of Thomas, Saying Fifty One) "For you have come from it, and you will return there again." (from Saying Forty Nine)
 
Becoming a Child of the Light
 
Many of these spiritual movements of Essenes, Gnostics, Friends of God, Ebionites, Manichaeans, etc.... have described themselves as "the Children of the Light". It was not an old scripture dating back many centuries, but a living teacher by the name of Yeshua who once taught his living students at the time that they would be able to experience "entering the Kingdom", the other dimensions of Inner Space in the present-tense by seeing Divine Light. Note: the usage of the word "Light" here is not as a metaphor for intellectually understanding teachings, but refers to a real Divine Light that is mystically seen during contemplative meditation with the eye of the soul. 
 
"If your eye be Single, your whole body will be full of Light." (Saying preserved in Matthew 6:22) "For this reason I say, if one is whole, one will be filled with Light, but if one is divided, one will be filled with darkness." (Yeshua, from Saying Sixty One, Gospel of Thomas) Becoming "a Single One", a spiritually whole person united with God, was the goal of the Thomas tradition of Syrian mysticism. "When you make the two into one ...... then you will enter the Kingdom." (Saying Twenty Two) The spirit, mind and body of the mystic all become united in God; its new way of being is "Singleness." The word for "Single One" or "Singleness" in the Syriac-Aramaic language is "Ihidaya", and is used to describe souls that enter into mystical oneness. ("Ihidayutha, A Study of the Life of Singleness in the Syrian Orient", ARAM Society for Syro-Mesopotamian Studies) According to this book by Sebastian Brock of Oxford, the hermits of the Syrian tradition eventually were called "the ihidaya." However, "Ihidaya" isn't merely a title, office, or a robe that one puts on, but is a matter of spiritual realisation, an interior state of being, an individual experience, a mystical level of awareness that is reached by a contemplative soul.
 
"There is Light within a Person of Light, and it illuminates the entire cosmos." (Saying Twenty Four, Gospel of Thomas) Kabir said, "The Light of one soul is equal to that of sixteen suns." "When the Father, who alone is good, visits the heart, he makes it holy and fills it with Light. And so a person who has such a heart is called blessed, for that person will see God." (Valentinus of Alexandria) "Faith in Christ is living, noetic Light. The Light of Jesus is noetic [spiritual] Light, and blessed is the soul which is accounted worthy to see it!." (Saint Isaac the Syrian) "The sun of consciousness within my heart keeps on shining and shining, all the time. Neither does it set nor does it rise." (Maitrey-Upanishad) "Man's soul shall become, when it leaveth the body, a great flood of Light, so as to traverse all the regions until it cometh into the Kingdom of Mystery ...... Seek, all of you, after the Light, so that the power of your soul that is in you may find Life. Do not cease seeking day or night until you find the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Light, which will purify you, transform you into pure Light, and guide you into the Kingdom of the Light." (Gospel of Faith-Wisdom -- Pistis Sophia)
 
"Whoever discovers the interpretation of these sayings will not taste death." (Saying One, Gospel of Thomas)
 
Recommended Reading:
 
* "The Gospel of Thomas" - Scholar's Version Online:
 
* "The Gospel of Thomas - Wisdom of the Twin", Lynn Bauman, White Cloud Press (See Amazon.com );
 
* "The Gospel of Thomas - The Gnostic Wisdom of Jesus", Jean-Yves Leloup, Inner Traditions (See Amazon.com );
 
* "The Gospel of Thomas: Annotated and Explained", Stevan L. Davies, Skylight Illuminations (See Amazon.com );
 
* "The Gospel of Jesus - In Search of His Original Teachings",  John Davidson, Science of the Soul Research Centre (See Science of the Soul Website):
 
* "The Stranger of Galilee - The Sermon on the Mount and the Universal Spiritual Tradition", Russell Perkins, Sant Bani Ashram (Ordering Information at Bottom of Web Page):

 
 




#460 From: SantMatMysticism <santmat_mystic@...>
Date: Thu Oct 28, 2010 12:24 am
Subject: Spiritual Awakening Radio Update
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Spiritual Awakening Radio Update


I know a thousand Rumis the world needs to hear, to be soothed by the Voice of the Soul that speaks through them all. Hafiz, Shams, Sarmad, Kabir, MiraBai, Rabia, Tukaram, Hazrat Sultan Bahu, Baba Farid, Nanak, Tulsi Sahib, Surdas, Dariya Sahib, Dharam Das, Namdev, Ravidas, Paltu - countless are lovers of the Beloved.


"The person, who is in tune with the universe, becomes like a radio receiver through which the Voice of the universe is transmitted." (Hazrat Khan)


With some radio stations out there, spirituality is the one-forbidden-topic. Celebrating free speech and research in the areas of comparative religion and spirituality: Spiritual Awakening Radio.


"Knowing ourselves and being willing to stand for who we are makes life authentic." (June Singer, A Gnostic Book of Hours)


Rumi: "Start a huge, foolish project, like Noah. It makes absolutely no difference what people think of you."


Rumi: "I want to sing like birds sing, not worrying who listens or what they think."


Have updated my radio archive page, with a long list of shows you can listen to anytime. Spiritual Awakening Radio explores the world of spirituality, comparative religion, Inner Light and Sound meditation, mysticism, sacred texts, peace, also ahimsa (non-violence in thought, word and deed). This includes promoting the vegetarian and vegan diets, as well as awareness about climate change.


"Seeking is Great, But Finding is Even Better" - The October 26th Edition of Spiritual Awakening Radio: My talk based on Saying Two of the Gospel of Thomas, plus readings from, "God's Whisper, Creation's Thunder", with my commentary. Click To Listen: http://view.liveindexer.com/ASXGenerator.aspx?mediaSKU=ctdOtb3Fjz1uDO6iNSgqxg%3D%3D


The Vegan Movement, Including in Sant Mat: Dr. Will Tuttle, Author of, The World Peace Diet, on Spiritual Awakening Radio - Click To Listen: http://view.liveindexer.com/ASXGenerator.aspx?mediaSKU=BPNNG9qeF0q5kLCxIpXZJg%3D%3D


A Conversation With Supreme Master Ching Hai on Spiritual Awakening Radio. Program Length: 60 Minutes - Click To Listen:


Dr. Chand Bhardwaj on Spiritual Awakening Radio - Two Programs on Inter-Faith Harmony, Scriptures, Saints, Sant Mat, Evolution, Science & Spirituality: http://santmatradhasoami.blogspot.com/2010/10/dr-chand-bhardwaj-of-sawan-adhyatmic.html


Part One of my Conversation with Veena Howard About the Path of the Sant Mat Masters Founded by Sant Tulsi Sahib of Hathras, India:


Part Two of my Conversation with Veena Howard About the Path of the Sant Mat Masters Founded by Sant Tulsi Sahib of Hathras, India:


"The divine currents, like the ethereal waves of a radio, are spread out in the atmosphere in all the directions of the compass, giving out delectable strains of music." (Kirpal Singh)


The Spiritual Awakening Radio Website, with a *Donate Button* (This is Listener-Supported Radio), Archive Page of Shows-On-Demand, Current Broadcast Schedule, The What's New Page, Articles, Library, Links to HealthyLife.Net, Yahoo Groups, Facebook, Twitter, Blogger, Lots More: http://www.spiritualawakeningradio.com/announce.html


"This creative current, filling all space, may be likened to the electromagnetic waves of the radio." (Julian Johnson)


November On Spiritual Awakening Radio: Rumi and the Sufi Poet-Mystics, Parts One Through Five  
 
 
Standing in solidarity with our Sufi brothers and sisters, affirming their peace-loving, non-violent, enlightened, life-affirming, inclusive, and positive vision of the future....... There will be a radio series about the Sufis: Rumi, Rabia, Baba Farid, Sultan Bahu, Hafiz, Sarmad, Bawa Muhaiyaddeen, Hazrat Inayat Khan, and others. A new 400-page translation has been published by HarperOne titled, "Rumi: The Big Red Book", by Coleman Barks, which I'm also looking forward to exploring.


Rumi: "Love comes and fills my skin, veins and bones, every particle. Only the letters of my name are left. You are the rest." ("Rumi: The Big Red Book", Coleman Barks)
 
 
The first airing of new shows happens on Tuesday afternoons, 3 PM Eastern/NOON Pacific, each week.
 
There are also several repeat times. 
 
 
November 2nd:  Rumi and the Sufi Poet-Mystics, PT 1 (HealthyLifeNet Program #228)
 
November 9th:   Rumi and the Sufi Poet-Mystics, PT 2 (HealthyLifeNet Program #229)
 
November 16th: Rumi and the Sufi Poet-Mystics, PT 3 (HealthyLifeNet Program #230)
 
November 23rd: Rumi and the Sufi Poet-Mystics, PT 4 (HealthyLifeNet Program #231)
 
November 30th: Rumi and the Sufi Poet-Mystics, PT 5 (HealthyLifeNet Program #232)


Rumi: "The core of this wisdom is something like madness. Love and insanity are often mistaken for one another. As suffering deepens in your heart, you become a stranger to yourself a thousand times." (Rumi: The Big Red Book, Coleman Barks)


"We are not alive because we have a body but because we are a soul." (Maharishi Mehi)
 

Broadcast Schedule on HealthyLife.Net - The Positive Talk Radio Network
 
*CLICK TO LISTEN LIVE TO THE STREAMING AUDIO* OF HEALTHYLIFE.NET:
or go to HealthyLife.Net and click the "Listen Live" button:
 
TUESDAY Afternoons at 3 PM Eastern (2 PM Central, 1 PM Mountain, NOON Pacific Time - 8 PM in the UK)
 
SUNDAYS at NOON Eastern (11 AM Central Time, 10 AM Mountain, and 9 AM Pacific Time - 5 PM in the UK) 
 
MONDAYS at 6 AM Eastern (5 AM Central Time, 4 AM Mountain, and 3 AM Pacific Time - 11 AM in the UK) 
 
FRIDAYS at 1 PM Eastern (2 PM Central Time, 1 PM Mountain, and 10 AM Pacific Time - 6 PM in the UK)
 
TUESDAY Mornings at 3 AM Eastern (2 AM Central, 1 AM Mountain, MIDNIGHT Pacific Time - 8 AM in the UK) 
 
 
ARCHIVED SHOWS

 
All shows are quickly archived and made available online.
LISTEN ANYTIME 24/7 - A Library of Shows-On-Demand:


Like Galileo discovering new worlds through the lens of his telescope, mystics have been trying to tell humanity for eons of something quite similar. The reason why the contemplative state of being is still hidden from most of us is that, unlike Galileo’s telescope, in order to look through this particular lens, the third eye or inner vision, we mustn’t focus on the outward sensory impressions, but go in the opposite direction: into inner space.


Rumi Says: "Do not be satisfied with the stories that come before you. Unfold your own myth."


Support by the friends of Spiritual Awakening Radio is what allows this unique program to exist and keeps it on the air:


All for the love of Wisdom and radio,
James Bean
Spiritual Awakening Radio
Facebook Radio Page:



#461 From: SantMatMysticism <santmat_mystic@...>
Date: Fri Oct 29, 2010 12:42 am
Subject: The Gnostic's Spiritual Eye
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"When the gnostic's spiritual eye is open, his bodily eye is shut: he sees nothing but God." ("Studies in Islamic Mysticism", by Reynold Alleyne Nicholson)





#462 From: SantMatMysticism <santmat_mystic@...>
Date: Fri Oct 29, 2010 3:31 am
Subject: Egalitarian Spirituality
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Egalitarian Spirituality


Sant Mat Quote of the Day:


Once a Brahman while bathing in the Ganges was asking a Sudra [member of the untouchable caste] to move off, lest his touch might pollute him. Tulsi Sahib noticed this and said, "Yours, sir, is a very strange sastra [scriptural regulation]! If the Ganges is so pure on account of her origin from Visnu's feet, why should a Sudra who has sprung up from the self-same feet be so impure?"

Brahman-Pharisee Parallels

The above story about Sant Tulsi Sahib on the theme of ritual verses real spiritual purity reminds me of this delightful account recorded in an unknown gospel discovered in 1905 in Egypt given the name "Oxyrhynchus 840":

Taking the disciples along, Yeshua lead them into the inner sanctuary itself and wandered around in the temple. Then a certain high priest of the Pharisees named Levi came toward them and said to the savior, "Who permitted you to wander in this place of purification and to see these holy vessels, even though you have not bathed and the feet of your disciples have not been washed? And now that you have defiled it, you walk around in this pure area of the temple where only a person who has bathed and changed his clothes can walk, and even such a person does not dare to look upon these holy vessels."

Standing nearby with his disciples, the savior replied, "Since you are here in the temple too, I take it you are clean?"

The Pharisee said to him, "I am clean. For I bathed in the pool of David. I went down into the pool by one set of stairs and came back out by another. Then I put on white clothes and they were clean. And then I came and looked at these holy vessels."

Replying to him, the savior said, "Woe to blind people who do not see! You have washed in the gushing waters that dogs and pigs are thrown into day and night. And when you washed yourself, you scrubbed the outer layer of skin, the layer of skin that prostitutes and flute-girls anoint and wash and scrub when they put on make up to become the desire of the men. But inside they are filled with scorpions and all unrighteousness. But my disciples and I, whom you say have not washed, we have washed in waters of eternal life that come from the God of heaven."



#463 From: SantMatMysticism <santmat_mystic@...>
Date: Thu Nov 11, 2010 3:07 pm
Subject: Rumi and the Sufi Poet-Mystics of the East, Part Two
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Download MP3 of the latest edition of Spiritual Awakening Radio!

Rumi and the Sufi Poet-Mystics of the East, Part Two:

Or Listen as streaming audio here:

All for the love of wisdom and radio,
James












#464 From: SantMatMysticism <santmat_mystic@...>
Date: Wed Nov 17, 2010 6:37 pm
Subject: Human Body As Radio Receiver and Transmitter
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Human Body As Radio Receiver and Transmitter


Sant Mat Quote of the Day:



Rumi and the Sufi Poet-Mystics, Part Three - Spiritual Awakening Radio - Click to Hear Streaming Audio or Download Program as MP3.

GO TO:

"The human body is a kin to a radio broadcasting station. It transmits into the ethers subtle and mental waves of what the mind thinks. Mental thought-forces and spiritual currents go out in the atmosphere according to the disposition of ones mental and spiritual make up. The human body system is also a radio receiver." (Shri Shivbrat Lal, disciple of Huzur Maharaj/Rai Saligram, disciple of Swami Ji Maharaj/Shiv Dayal Singh/Sant Radhasoami Sahib, from the book, "Dayal Yoga")

"Various sorts of Sound Currents reverberate in the human system (brain) from which the initiate has to pick up the right one and listen to it, otherwise he will go astray and lose his equipoise. The practical Guru forewarns his disciple and directs which Sound to listen to and which one to discard. A variety of Sound Currents are of a lower order which have to be rejected." (Shivbrat Lal)

"The experienced practitioner [of Surat Shabd Yoga] knows that some of these low order Sound Currents can become audible. Therefore the initiate his to be very careful and avoid then in entirety. If not, they are bound to create a sort of roadblock in the ascension process." (Shivbrat Lal)

"The devotee in his spiritual journey upwards hears Sweet Melodies which attract him. The Melodies are a powerful magnetic force which draws the attention inwards and makes it fully attuned to proceed up and up." (Shivbrat Lal)



#465 From: SantMatMysticism <santmat_mystic@...>
Date: Wed Nov 24, 2010 8:48 pm
Subject: Sleep On or Awaken
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Life After Life: Sleep On or Awaken - The Choice Is Ours


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Profile of a True Spiritual Seeker

Padavali of Sant Namdev: "He alone is the adept, the holy, and the Gnostic, who is in rapport with God. Says Namdev, he alone has obtained peace in whom Gods Name has taken abode."

Kabir: "When a brave knight takes the field, a host of cowards is put to flight. It is a hard fight and a weary one, this fight of the truth-seeker: for the vow of the truth-seeker is more difficult than that of the warrior, or of the widowed wife who would follow her husband. For the warrior fights for a few hours, and the widows struggle with death is soon ended: But the truth-seekers battle goes on day and night. As long as life lasts it never ceases." (Songs of Kabir, Rabindranath Tagore)

Padavali of Sant Namdev: "Gods Name will take you across the ocean of samsara. Why work yourself to death for the falsehood of maya [illusion]?"

Maharshi Mehi: "The desire for attaining a state free from suffering and to attain happiness of Shanti (absolute Peace) is natural in human beings. The purpose of Sant Mat is to provide a system which fulfills the desire of attaining absolute Peace."

The Path of the Masters

Buddha: "As the moon follows the path of the constellations, one should follow the wise, the intelligent, the learned, the much enduring, the dutiful, the noble". (Dhammapada)

Hazrat Sultan BaHU: "My Master is a bird of paradise; he only flies with his own kind. Through great good fortune you will have his vision -- if the Lord pulls the strings of destiny in your favor."

Rumi: "When the Master discloses the Secrets and Mysteries of the human microcosm, your soul and mind will rush in rapture towards the high heavens."

Kabir: "So plunge into the Truth, find out who the Teacher is, believe in the Great Sound!"

Encyclopaedia of Saints of India, Volume 19: Radhasoami, By Dr. S.R. Bakshi and Dr. Sangh Mittra: "All religious scriptures mention the Sound Current or the Word, but unfortunately most remain unaware of it......When a Master initiates a soul he brings to that soul, at that moment, the ability to become conscious of this Sound Current. During all the millions of years we have been wandering around, lost and blind, we have forgotten our true selves and our Maker; we have lost the way (the Sound Current). Now it will be different. We are to meet our Creator through the Sound Current, which keeps creation in being.....In the Path of the Masters the three things required for realizing God and attaining liberation are: (1) Satsang; (2) the Sant Satguru; and, (3) the Shabd Naam."

Anurag Sagar: "After meeting the Satguru, one understands the play of Shabda [the Sound Current, Positive Power] and Surat [the Attention of the Soul]. It is the union of the drop and the ocean. What else can one say? Giving up the qualities of mind, one should follow the Path of the Master. Such a soul goes to Sat Lok [True Eternal Realm] and derives happiness from the Ocean of Happiness."

Kirpal Singh: "It [Shabd] is a current from the Ocean of Consciousness and is characterized by Sound-vibration, or in other words, It is alive and active principle which, emanating from God, is enlivening all creation. It is the instrument with which God creates, controls and sustains His vast universe. It acts as a life-line between the Creator and His creation and serves as a golden bridge between the two."

Footnote from the Anurag Sagar: "Shabda": "The Sound Current; also called Naam or Word. The projected Creative Force of the Positive Power or Sat Purush, ultimately responsible for the entire creation and present in each individual in the form of Light and Sound, which can be seen and heard, and which are the agency that pulls the individual back to his/her essence, Sat Purush." (Anurag Sagar)

Maharshi Mehi: "To know yourself means to know that you are a spiritual being, with the consciousness of God dwelling within. Realization of the true self gives immense peace and bliss, and fills the heart with abiding love for all."

"The attainment of ultimate spiritual Peace and supreme Joy within oneself is the ultimate goal of Sant Mat as described by Maharishi Mehi and other great Sages. Although this path is not content with meager goals, it is extremely easy to understand and practice. Progress is certain, although, for most, eager and persistent effort is required." (TheWayOfSages Website)

The Gift of Life After Life

Swami Ji Maharaj: "You faltered through a million lives before you found this human form. Do not waste it this time - devote every moment to remembering God." (Sar Bachan)

Guru Arjan: "In many lives, became insects and moths. In many lives, became elephant, fish and deer. In many lives, became bird and snake. In many lives, became yoked horse and ox. This is your turn to meet God, the Lord of All. This human body has been shaped after a long wait."

Guru Amardas: "O my body, God installed the Light in you. That is why you came into the world."

Kabir: "When Love lit up the cage [of the body], my soul was flooded with Light."

Guru Arjan: "You have received the human body, your opportunity to meet God, the Preserver."

Guru Arjan: "By meditating on God you attain salvation."

"This world is an illusion. Practice meditation." (From, The Last Words of Baba Devi Sahab)

Sant Namdev: "Hope is a lie and desire a mere dream -- yet both are construed as actual reality. But when my Guru gave me his holy wisdom, I awoke from my dream and my heart yielded."

Rumi: To Him We Shall Return

I died as mineral and became a plant;

I died as plant and rose to animal,

I died as animal and I was a man.

Then why fear disappearance through death?

When was I less by dying?

Next time I shall die

To soar -- with angels blessed,

But even from angel-hood

I must pass on;

All except God doth perish.

When I have sacrificed my angel soul,

I shall become what no mind ever conceived.

What you cannot imagine,

I shall be That.

Oh! let me not exist,

for non-existence

Proclaims in organ-tones,

To Him we shall return.

Seeing Within, Hearing Celestial Harmonies, The Ascension of the Soul

Rumi: "O lovers, lovers it is time to set out from the world. I hear a drum in my souls ear coming from the depths of the stars."

Rumi: "With every breath the Sound of Love surrounds us, and we are bound for the depths of space, without distraction. Out beyond duality, we have a home, and it is Majesty. That pure substance is different from this dusty world. We once came down; soon well return."

Guru Nanak: "You have a thousand eyes yet without eye are You. You have a thousand faces yet without face are You. You have a thousand feet yet without foot are You. You have a thousand noses yet without nose are You. I am enchanted by Your wonders. There is a Light in all, and that Light is You. By that Light we are all illumined. The Light is revealed through the Gurus teachings."

Guru Nanak: "We speak without tongue. We see without eyes. We hear without ears. We walk without feet, and we work without hands."

Sant Kabir: "May I see You with my eyes, hear Your Sound with my own ears. Speak Your Name in my own words, O Lord; rest Your flower-like feet on my heart."

Yesuha, Gospel of Thomas: "What your own eyes cannot see, your human ears do not hear, your physical hands cannot touch, and what is inconceivable to the human mind - that I will give to you!"

Yeshua: "How privileged are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. I swear to you, many prophets and righteous ones have longed to see what you see and didnt see it, and to hear what you hear and didnt hear."

Gnostic Prayer from the, Canonical Prayer Book of the Mandaeans: "Thou hast showed us that which the eye has not seen, and caused us to hear that which the human ear has not heard. Thou has freed us from death and united us with Life, released us from darkness, and united us with Light....... Thou hast shown us that which the eye has not seen, and caused us to hear that which the human ear has not heard."

Rumi: "When He Himself is the Light of your eye, a hundred worlds like ours appear. If this one looks bottomless and vast, remember: to Omnipotence it is less than an atom."

Bawa Muhaiyaddeen: "There is Unseen Light within you which the eyes cannot perceive. It dwells within you, and you within it, in unity." (The Golden Words of a Sufi Sheikh)

Kirpal Singh: "This Single or Third Eye provides an ingress into the spiritual worlds - the Kingdom of God - now a lost realm to most of us...Of this inlet or ingress little is known by the people at large."

Buddha: "With the Divine Eye, which is purified and surpasses the human, a bhikkhu surveys a thousand worlds. Just as a man with good sight when he has ascended to the upper palace chamber, might survey a thousand wheel-rims, so too, with the Divine Eye, which is purified and surpasses the human, a bhikkhu surveys a thousand worlds."

Buddha: "I have proclaimed to my disciples the way whereby with the Divine Ear element, which is purified and surpasses the human, they hear both kinds of sounds, the divine and the human, those that are far as well as near. Just as a vigorous trumpeter might make himself heard without difficulty in the four quarters; so too, I have proclaimed to my disciples the way whereby with the Divine Ear element....far as well as near. And thereby many disciples of mine abide having reached the consummation and Perfection of Direct Knowledge." (The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha -- A Translation of the Majjhima Nikaya, Teachings of the Buddha, translated by Bhakkhu Nanamoli and Bhikkhu Bodhi, Wisdom Publications)

Padavali of Sant Namdev: "I had chains around my feet, but now I have no fear of this ocean of samsara. Liberation awaits."

Padavali of Sant Namdev: "Pierce through the six chakras, and ascend upwards. Listen to the Melody Divine arising there. Through the Melody, the turbulent mind is quelled. Realize that only thus is thy practice made fruitful."

Padavali of Sant Namdev: "Listen to the heavenly Music and attain liberation while still living."

Maharshi Mehi: "The Original Divine Sound, which originated from the Supreme Sovereign, continuously without break reverberates throughout the hearts of the entire macrocosm and microcosm. The Sound will inherently go on for the duration of creation because the evolution of creation depends upon the existence of Sound. Should the Sound cease so would creation."

Maharshi Mehi: "Sound by its nature has the quality to draw one to its point of origin.........No other means is better than the Sound for transcending the concealments (realms) of creation."

Padavali of Sant Namdev: "It is your Music I hear O Lord. The rhythm of drums, jantar [a three stringed musical instrument], and Vina. The supreme moment has come."

Maharishi Mehi: "They are similar to the sounds of the Veena (stringed instrument similar to the lyre), the Murali (flute), the Nafeeri (horn instrument), the Mridang (drum), the Mrdal (cymbals), the Singi (a horn), the Sitar (stringed instrument), or the Sarangi (similar to a lute). Other descriptions compare these Sounds to a peal of Thunder and a roar of a Lion."

Rumi: "We are as the flute, and the music in us is from thee; we are as the mountain and the echo in us is from thee."

Peter Fripp: "The Music of the Shabd is distant and unsteady when first heard, but as it deepens, it lifts the listeners into a hitherto unknown peace....The Sound of the Shabd is like a constant theme with variations on all levels [planes or heavens]. These variations are described as the rushing of a mighty wind, the sound of a lute, the deep resonance of a bell or conch, or the tinkling of glass in the wind. There are also wonderful lights and radiance to accompany the sounds...The sounds and lights progress in a definite order, corresponding to each stage of the journey inwards, and they clearly indicate the disciples progress."

Hazrat Khan: "It sounds like Thunder, the roaring of the Sea, the jingling of Bells, running the Water, the Buzzing of bees, the Twittering of sparrows, the Vina, the Whistle, or the sound of Shankha..."(The Mysticism of Sound)

Svatmarama Yogindra, Hatha-Yoga-Pradipika: "The practitioner may hear sounds like the sound of the Ocean, a Rain Cloud, a Drum, a Kettledrum, a Conch, a Bell, a Horn, a Flute, a Lute, or a bee [Hum]."

Anurag Sagar: "As long as the soul remains in the body ... practice the Path of Shabda."

Swami Ji Maharaj/Sant Radhasoami Sahib: "In the company of Shabd, withdraw and concentrate your spirituality. Do not drift in the ocean of this world, which has a vast expanse. Without Shabd, you cannot find the way home. The stages of Shabd are to be found within yourself. Be thus allied to Shabd and then repose in peace." (Sar Bachan Poetry, Volume One)

Maharshi Mehi: "Upon merging the mind with the Sound, there remains only the consciousness, free of the association with the mind. The consciousness free of the mind will be drawn to the Flow of Sounds, ultimately merging in Soundlessness or the Supreme Sovereign God."

Or "Sleep On" - Rumi:

Those who dont feel this love
Pulling them like a river,
Those who dont drink dawn
Like a cup of spring water
Or take in sunset like supper,
Those who dont want to change,
Let them sleep!
This love is beyond the study of theology,
That old trickery and hypocrisy.
If you want to improve your mind that way,
Sleep on!
Ive given up on my brain.
Ive torn the cloth to shreds
And thrown it away.
If youre not completely naked,
Wrap your beautiful robe of words
around you,
And go back to sleep!




#466 From: SantMatMysticism <santmat_mystic@...>
Date: Thu Nov 25, 2010 8:45 pm
Subject: Hear Rumi and the Sufi Poet-Mystics of the East, Part 4
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Hear Rumi and the Sufi Poet-Mystics of the East, Part 4, Spiritual Awakening Radio, Broadcast On November 23rd via HealthyLifeNet - The Positive Talk Radio Network

Click To Hear Program As Streaming Audio:

Or Click To Download Podcast MP3:

All for the love of wisdom and radio,
James



#467 From: SantMatMysticism <santmat_mystic@...>
Date: Sun Nov 28, 2010 5:47 am
Subject: Aeon After Aeon of Big Bangs and Universes
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Aeon After Aeon of Big Bangs and Universes




Sant Mat Quote of the Day:
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An infinite expansion of an old saying about the number of galaxies and grains of sand: There are more bubble universes in the grand multi-verse than there are grains of sand on all the beaches on Earth.


Jainism - Wikipedia: "Jain cosmology considers the loka, or universe, as an uncreated entity, existing since infinity, having no beginning or an end."


In the 1920s Julian P. Johnson wrote in, Path of the Masters: "It [Pinda, the Material Realm] extends out into space far beyond the reach of any telescope. Astronomers have never been able to count these worlds - although their instruments become more perfect, the range of their observations extended. Who shall set limits or indicate bounds to those starry depths? Who can number the numberless?"


"It is impossible to confine love to the temporal and transient levels of life, and it is impossible to confine the grandeur and majesty of God to the dimensions of the mind. When I had come to a partial realization of this fact, wise adepts of the inner realms provided me with guidance through the fragrant mystic universe, the spirito-mental region. They showed me their many magnificent planets of light and wonder. It was they who ultimately persuaded me to roam and explore untold realms of gold within myself. I had no fixed starting place in time and space, for I dwelt in a multi-verse that was co-extensive with all the ages. But my inner world was still limited by the boundaries of creation; I needed the guidance of a spiritual adept, within the physical world itself, to give me new birth into the freedom of eternity." (George Arnsby Jones, An Odyssey of Inner Space, Peacehaven Press)


Roger Penrose: "I think I would say that the universe has a purpose, its not somehow just there by chance ... some people, I think, take the view that the universe is just there and it runs along--its a bit like it just sort of computes, and we happen somehow by accident to find ourselves in this thing. But I dont think thats a very fruitful or helpful way of looking at the universe, I think that there is something much deeper about it."


In the news, Roger Penrose: Echoes of Events Before the Big Bang Revealed:


Roger Penrose: Before the Beginning of the Universe: BBC Audio: "Big Bang follows Big Bang follows Big Bang":


"Aeons Before the Big Bang?", a video lecture by Roger Penrose presenting a cyclic multiverse: aeon after aeon of Big Bangs and universes, as opposed to one Big Bang, one-time-only, leading to one universe. At 68 minutes into the video, he describes how there can be evidence that has left its mark in the cosmic background radiation that there was a previous universe before the Big Bang:


Travel to the Edge of "The Known Universe":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXrXTx94aFg



#468 From: SantMatMysticism <santmat_mystic@...>
Date: Wed Dec 15, 2010 5:31 am
Subject: Rumi - The Big Red Book
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Mixed Media: Book Reviews, Film, Website, Food, and Music Reviews, By James Bean

Copyright December 2010 - All Rights Reserved

Book Review: "Rumi - The Big Red Book - The Great Masterpiece Celebrating Mystical Love and Friendship", by Coleman Barks, HarperOne, ISBN 978-0-06-190582-7




Says the 13th Century Poet-mystic Jalaluddin Rumi:

Something opens our wings.
Something makes boredom and hurt disappear.
Someone fills the cup in front of us.
We taste only sacredness.

If you've been wondering which collection of Rumi poems to get, this one, 492 pages in length, represents a most excellent vintage indeed, offering cup after cup of a spiritually intoxicating elixir you'll only find at Rumi's tavern. "Rumi - The Big Red Book", represents the essence or distillation of many decades-worth of translation effort -- Bark's life's work.

Not long ago I had the privilege of interviewing Coleman on my program, Spiritual Awakening Radio. During the course of the conversation he confirmed that it was the Christian Science Monitor that said, "Rumi is the most widely read poet in America." By "liberating Rumi from a scholarly purgatory", as he put it, Coleman's intimate, contemporary English translations have almost single-handedly made Rumi into a household name.

What is that "Something" people are magnetically drawn to in Rumi's verses, like a moth to the flame? From where does this sparkling radiance and inspiration emanate? Perhaps the highest answer is, Rumi gives voice to the Cry of the Soul within us all.

Another answer would be, Rumi was a Sufi Master and mystic-soul. Many may not realize, when they enjoy reading Rumi poetry, they are encountering, perhaps for the first time, teachings that come directly from a living school of spirituality known as Sufism, and Sufis are the gnostic or mystical branch of Islam. When Rumi writes about Shams of Tabriz, he is referring to his spiritual teacher and mentor in a long line of Sufi Masters spanning many generations. And to this day, there are numerous Sufi Orders in the world.

During the interview, Coleman mentioned that he had met the great Sufi teacher Bawa Muhaiyaddeen, at first in a dream! then eventually, in person, visiting with him many times (1977-86). Muhaiyaddeen would often come to the US. Named after their founder, Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Fellowship is a Sufi center located in Philadelphia.

Rumi, with his message of tolerance between religions and spiritual oneness with God, "The Beloved", was so far ahead of his time, he seems right at home here in the 21st Century. The vision of Rumi is a life-affirming one that so desperately needs to be shared with humanity.

There are so many other gnostics, mystics, and heretics also doing time in various "scholarly purgatories" of academia, wooden translations of obscurity. I know a thousand "Rumis" the world needs to hear, to be soothed by the Voice of the Soul that speaks through them all. Hafiz, Shams of Tabriz, Sarmad, Kabir, Rabia, Mira Bai, Daya Bai, Sahjo Bai, Tukaram, Hazrat Sultan Bahu, Baba Farid, Guru Nanak, Dariya Sahib, Tulsi Sahib, Surdas, Namdev, Ravidas, Paltu, Sant Radhaswami Sahib, Maharshi Mehi, and many more besides, up to the living present -- countless are lovers of the Beloved.



#469 From: SantMatMysticism <santmat_mystic@...>
Date: Wed Dec 15, 2010 5:48 am
Subject: Rumi - The Big Red Book
santmat_mystic
Send Email Send Email
 


Mixed Media: Book Reviews, Film, Website, Food, and Music Reviews, By James Bean

Copyright December 2010 - All Rights Reserved

Book Review: "Rumi - The Big Red Book - The Great Masterpiece Celebrating Mystical Love and Friendship", by Coleman Barks, HarperOne, ISBN 978-0-06-190582-7




Says the 13th Century Poet-mystic Jalaluddin Rumi:

Something opens our wings.
Something makes boredom and hurt disappear.
Someone fills the cup in front of us.
We taste only sacredness.

If you've been wondering which collection of Rumi poems to get, this one, 492 pages in length, represents a most excellent vintage indeed, offering cup after cup of a spiritually intoxicating elixir you'll only find at Rumi's tavern. "Rumi - The Big Red Book", represents the essence or distillation of many decades-worth of translation effort -- Bark's life's work.

Not long ago I had the privilege of interviewing Coleman on my program, Spiritual Awakening Radio. During the course of the conversation he confirmed that it was the Christian Science Monitor that said, "Rumi is the most widely read poet in America." By "liberating Rumi from a scholarly purgatory", as he put it, Coleman's intimate, contemporary English translations have almost single-handedly made Rumi into a household name.

What is that "Something" people are magnetically drawn to in Rumi's verses, like a moth to the flame? From where does this sparkling radiance and inspiration emanate? Perhaps the highest answer is, Rumi gives voice to the Cry of the Soul within us all.

Another answer would be, Rumi was a Sufi Master and mystic-soul. Many may not realize, when they enjoy reading Rumi poetry, they are encountering, perhaps for the first time, teachings that come directly from a living school of spirituality known as Sufism, and Sufis are the gnostic or mystical branch of Islam. When Rumi writes about Shams of Tabriz, he is referring to his spiritual teacher and mentor in a long line of Sufi Masters spanning many generations. And to this day, there are numerous Sufi Orders in the world.

During the interview, Coleman mentioned that he had met the great Sufi teacher Bawa Muhaiyaddeen, at first in a dream! then eventually, in person, visiting with him many times (1977-86). Muhaiyaddeen would often come to the US. Named after their founder, Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Fellowship is a Sufi center located in Philadelphia.

Rumi, with his message of tolerance between religions and spiritual oneness with God, "The Beloved", was so far ahead of his time, he seems right at home here in the 21st Century. The vision of Rumi is a life-affirming one that so desperately needs to be shared with humanity.

There are so many other gnostics, mystics, and heretics also doing time in various "scholarly purgatories" of academia, wooden translations of obscurity. I know a thousand "Rumis" the world needs to hear, to be soothed by the Voice of the Soul that speaks through them all. Hafiz, Shams of Tabriz, Sarmad, Kabir, Rabia, Mira Bai, Daya Bai, Sahjo Bai, Tukaram, Hazrat Sultan Bahu, Baba Farid, Guru Nanak, Dariya Sahib, Tulsi Sahib, Surdas, Namdev, Ravidas, Paltu, Sant Radhaswami Sahib, Maharshi Mehi, and many more besides, up to the living present -- countless are lovers of the Beloved.


#470 From: SantMatMysticism <santmat_mystic@...>
Date: Sun Dec 19, 2010 7:25 am
Subject: Sant Mat Satsang, Weekly Stream of Updates: Light and Sound on the Path, Dec. 19th
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Sant Mat Satsang, Weekly Stream of Updates: Light and Sound on the Path, Dec. 19th:



Rumi: "Love is the energizing elixir of the universe, the cause and effect of all Harmonies."


"In all truth it can be said that the fall of the human being took place when he began to forget himself. That is to say: to forget his Supreme Being, the mysterious Source whence he emerged." (The Law of Attention - Nada Yoga and the Way of Inner Vigilance, Edward Salim Michael, Inner Traditions)


Yeshua: "If your spiritual guides say to you, 'Look, the divine realm is in the sky,' well then the birds will get there ahead of you. If they say, 'It is in the sea,' then the fish will precede you. No, the divine Reality exists inside and all around you. Only when you have come to know your true Self will you be fully known - realizing at last that you are a child of the Living One. If, however, you never come to know who you really are, you are a poverty-stricken being, and it is your 'self' which lies impoverished." (Gospel of Thomas - Wisdom of the Twin, Lynn Bauman, White Cloud Press)


"O Surat [Soul]! Who are you and whence have you come? This world is a net spread by the mind. Why do you get entangled in it? You are a ray from the Purush (the Supreme Being) and an inhabitant of the purely Spiritual Region. Kal [lord of time] has put a noose round your neck. Turn back and go to your Home, by the grace of Sat Guru and in the company of Sadhs (those who are engaged in Parmath [spirituality]). Listen to Anhad Shabd within, says Radhasoami." (Swami Ji Maharaj, Sar Bachan Poetry, Volume One)


Youtube: The Audible Life Stream - Ancient Secret of Dying While Living:


Kabir says: "Keep on doing your work. Keep on reciting God's name, and you will live pleasantly in the world."


Guru Nanak: "With the holy Name as one's foundation, this wavering mind is firmly held, and in Truth it dwells. And when in truth one love's the Lord, then the Lord Himself grants union with Him."



Recently my guest on the Sant Mat Satsang PODcast at Blog Talk Radio was Mark Juergensmeyer, author of the book, RADHASOAMI Reality. Click to download podcast MP3 and enjoy:



There more satsang MP3s have been added to the Anurag Sagar Page ("Center For Anurag Sagar Studies") along with some other updates:

Anurag Sagar: The Ocean of Love



Recommended Reading: New PDF E Book Online: Param Sant Tulsi Sahib of Hathras, translated into English by S. D. Maheshwari, containing: A Short Biographical Sketch about Tulsi Sahib, a large collection of Shabds: mystical Hymns from his Shabdavali, and excerpts from the Ghat Ramayan (Dialogue Between Tulsi Sahib and Phool Das of the Kabir Panth, with commentary on the Anurag Sagar, and contains some hymns of Tulsi Sahib, Kabir, Dadu, Dariya Sahib, Guru Nanak, Mirabai, and Soor Das). This collection of Tulsi Sahib writings was originally published in the Hindi edition of, Prem Patra Radhasoami, Volume Six, by Huzur Maharaj of Agra:


Recommended Reading: New PDF E Book Online: Sar Bachan Poetry, Volume One:



Soami Bagh's Online Radhasoami Library: A Through Z - PDFs of: Sar Bachan Poetry (Volumes 1 and 2), Tulsi Sahib, Prem Patra volumes, etc.. 77 Books in English - There is also a Hindi Section:


Helpful Online Sant Mat Glossary - PDF File:


More Recommended Books on the Path of the Masters, Inner Light and Sound Meditation:


Param Sant Tulsi Sahib: "Pure Light is shining within."


Kabir says, "It is the mercy of my Satguru that has made me to know the unknown. I have learned from Him how to walk without feet, to see without eyes, to hear without ears, to drink without mouth, to fly without wings. I have brought my love and my meditation into the land where there is no sun and moon, nor day and night. Without eating, I have tasted of the sweetness of nectar; and without water, I have quenched my thirst. Where there is the response of delight, there is the fullness of joy. Before whom can that joy be uttered? Kabir says: "The Guru is great beyond words, and great is the good fortune of the disciple." (Songs of Kabir, satgur soi daya kar dinha)


Rumi: "O lovers, lovers it is time to set out from the world. I hear a drum in my soul's ear coming from the depths of the stars."


Rumi Says: "Do not be satisfied with the stories that come before you. Unfold your own myth."


Soami Ji Maharaj, Sar Bachan Poetry: "Practise the Abhyas of Surat Shabd Yoga. Apply your body and mind to Sumiran (recitation of the Holy Name). Go on beholding the countenance of Guru. Listen to the Sound of Anhad Shabd every day. Cultivate a keen desire to attend Satsang, and do so whenever you can."


"The deeper one goes in meditation, and the loftier the spiritual states one touches, the more the motion and feeling of time will alter and take on an entirely different aspect. The greater the merger into one's higher state of consciousness, the slower and less perceptible will time become until, in the still more exalted mystical states, it will feel as if it stops altogether." (Edward Salim Michael, "The Law of Attraction - Nada Yoga and the Way of Inner Vigilance", Inner Traditions, Vermont)


Soami Ji Maharaj, Sar Bachan Poetry: "The devotee should sit in a secluded place, turn his senses inward and perform Abhyas [meditation practices]. He will attain peace of mind. He should withdraw the two petals (the currents flowing to the two eyes from the focus), and advance to Gagan [mystic inner Sky]. He will hear Shabd and feel delighted. He will behold Jyoti flame (in Sahas-dal-kanwal), the Sun (in Trikuti), and the Moon (in Sunn). He will reach Sat Lok and settle there. On hearing the incessant resounding of Shabd, his Surat will smile in ecstasy and bliss."


"O devotee! There is a wonderful display within this body. In the darkness of this body is the sky studded with the stars, the Moon and the Sun. There is the subtle body within the physical one and in that subtle body is the causal one. And yet there is the fourth one, that is, the supra-causal body. The fifth body, that is, Kaivalya (Oneness) is without attributes and full of knowledge. Mehi says, the Quintessential Word along with the Absolute, is present within one's body." (Padavali of Maharshi Mehi)


"Whatever a seeker's higher destiny is, and whatever direction his Supreme Being bids him take to accomplish it, he must obey and not let himself be swayed by the persuasive arguments or criticism of others, no matter how logical their reasoning may appear or how harsh their condemnation may be." (Edward Salim Michael, "The Law of Attraction - Nada Yoga and the Way of Inner Vigilance", Inner Traditions, Vermont)


"Those, within whom the Truth dwells, obtain the True Name; they speak only the Truth. They walk on the Lord's Path, and inspire others to walk on the Lord's Path as well." (Guru Ramdas)


"True scriptures are those which teach kindness and compassion towards all living beings." (Nigam soi jo daya dridhave.) -- Sant Dariya Sahib


Just finished watching a review DVD copy of a new film called "I Am". Very inspiring and all about changing in the world, the process of change. Hope everyone can see it. February 2011 it will be coming to theaters. Trailer at Youtube:




"This mysterious path is described in the holy books, but it cannot be found simply by the study of sacred texts. It is found by the grace and guidance of an accomplished teacher." (Swami Sant Sevi Ji Maharaj)





#471 From: SantMatMysticism <santmat_mystic@...>
Date: Mon Jan 10, 2011 12:59 pm
Subject: There is No Vatican of the Spirit
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There is No Vatican of the Spirit




There is No "Vatican" of the Spirit --
A Reflection on the Impermanence of Spiritual Movements in a World of Samsara (Changes, Maya, Kal, and Illusion) -- Updated, By James Bean

"The god of time (Kal Niranjan) has put a cover over the teachings of Saints and thus concealed them from humanity." (Swami Ji Maharaj, Sar Bachan Radhasoami Poetry, Volume Two, Agra, India)

As a friend Neil Tessler says: "There is no Vatican of the Spirit." He specializes in writing about the politics of Guru-succession in India, suggesting that all spiritual movements decline and turn to dust sooner or later. It's just a matter of "time" (Kal). Try as they might, spirituality can not be institionalised. Groups usually undergo a process of gradual decline, dispensing with a crucial mystical principals or techniques every so often. Living in a world of forgetfulness and spiritual slumber, how soon we forget. The decline is so gradual, that sadly, most in a group over the decades of their short human lifespan do not even notice, or would rather not be mindful about such matters. Only looking back years or decades later, the lucky ones not completely intoxicated by social status, peer pressure, or "group-think" might perhaps come to see the occasional wrong turn after wrong turn a spiritual group has made, all in the name of progress and good intentions of course:

banning books and teachings of past and recent Masters with an ever-narrowing "satsang template" of "approved" and suppressed writings leading to lost books, more and more out-of-print scriptures, missing spiritual principals, and forgotten history;
building bigger buildings 
with less meditation going on 
in those noisier, crowded buildings; 
getting busier without, yet 
not progressing as far within; 
an overall reduction 
in the percentage of the population 
having inner mystical experiences
of Light and Sound, 
and all in the name of what... 
"saving the world" by becoming less true to the ideals of the Path?

Life-changing, transformative, inner experience, a close encounter of the God-kind, is what the "world" really needs, not yet more branding, photo ops, oppressive manipulative leadership ["the CID of god"], new rules, regulations, and marketing campaigns.

With any spiritual movement, sooner or later, we are eventually left with bones, statues, dust from the past, apostles and prophets that are no more, the shoes and spectacles of the guru who lived many decades ago, and on a few occasions scrolls that are worshipped as holy books, even though these very same scrolls might instruct us to not worship books. Rather, these Holy Scriptures are advising us to be healed of our blindness, go within, develop sight, see Divine Light, and to be healed from our deafness, with ears opened to hearing inner Music - the Voice of God.

All of these great teachers of days gone-by have generally reaffirmed for their generation, the same basic truths and inner experiences. I do like my friend's phrase: "There is no Vatican of the Spirit." I find that to be a useful-if-not-ironic way of putting it. Spiritual movements come and go. Schools of Spirituality and mystics are replaced by polyester prophets parasitically interpreting the past inspiration once breathed by others. Living Saints are sometimes eventually replaced by CEO's of religious companies riding around in very expensive rickshaws of the rich and famous who seemingly are incapable of composing their own inspired poetry or prose like their predecessors. And ghost-writers don't count. All of the organizations associated with mystic-paths at present, rest assured, will meet the same fate as those of past generations, eventually being replaced with vibrant gatherings in diverse locations, new budding branches of the Living Mystical Tree of Life to replace the old, same as always – thank God.

A famous Saint from Hathras, India by the name of Tulsi Sahib used to sleep in the trunk of a tree at night. Read that somewhere. I find that to be absolutely charming as it reveals that Tulsi did not live in a mansion of opulent decadency with four or five Porsche's in the driveway (back then it would have been elephants I would imagine), an image that would have suggested a contradiction between the teacher's lifestyle and his teachings. If I ever travel to Hathras, it will not be to visit the samadh containing Tulsi's ashes, but to that tree that Tulsi once slept in, or one very much like it, and to the places where he spent much time in meditation.

There is no permanent Institution or University of Mysticism, but a decline-renewal process, a continuous pattern of Masters leaving older groups, movements, temples, ashrams or real estate, and emerging in new locations to begin again, to reboot, to reset, to renew the mystic-path on Planet Earth, to keep the torch of spirituality burning bright for another generation or two. Spirituality is the Impulse of Life from the Great Life, the Universal Soul – God – that we as soul are intertwined with, not golden temples, or idols made of wood and stone. The history of Essenes leaving Jerusalem, John the Baptist leaving Qumran, Thomas heading East, Valentinians moving out of Roman cities to create Egyptian spiritual communities in the desert, Tulsi Sahib moving from Poona to Hathras, and so it goes and always has been, an observable pattern of breaking with the past, a time-honored tradition of crisis and renewal, reaffirming one's mystic-path, making a fresh start in new locations, remaining free to exist in genuineness and authenticity. 

Kabir says: "More than all else do I cherish at heart that LOVE which makes me to live a Limitless Life in this world. It is like the lotus, which lives in the water and blooms in the water: yet the water can not touch its petals -- they open beyond its reach."  

From one of the banned and lost Gnostic Gospels from the beginnings of the "Orthodox" period of Fourth Century Christianity: "And there shall be others of those who are outside our number who name themselves bishops and also deacons, as if they have received their authority from God. They bend themselves under the judgment of the leaders. Those people are dry canals." (Apocalypse of Peter, The Nag Hammadi Library in English, online at Gnosis.org)


        An Example of a "Dry Canal" 
 

There has never been an Institution of Gnosis. 
There is no Vatican of the Spirit. 
Resistance is not futile.
Viva the Revolution.
Seneca said: "Every new beginning comes 
from some other beginning's end." 



#472 From: SantMatMysticism <santmat_mystic@...>
Date: Thu Jan 13, 2011 10:03 pm
Subject: Spiritual Awakening Radio PODcasts: January
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Spiritual Awakening Radio PODcasts
 Exploring the World of Spirituality, Comparative Religion, Mysticism, Meditation, Inner Light and Sound, the Path of the Masters, the Vegetarian Vegan diet for a Sustainable Planet, and Books


Sant MatSant MatSant MatSant MatSant MatSant MatSant Mat


"O Soul (Surat)! Who are you and whence have you come? This world is a net spread by the mind. Why do you get entangled in it? You are a ray from the Purush (the Supreme Being) and an inhabitant of the purely Spiritual Region." (Shiv Dayal Singh)


1/4/2011 - Alistair Conwell-The Audible Life Stream, Part 1


A conversation with Alistair Conwell, author of, "The Audible Life Stream - Ancient Secret of Dying While Living", on Inner Sound and Light Meditation, Part One - Program Length: 60 Minutes. Click to Download MP3: 


"Consistent with the concept of flow, mystics say that only when the mind is stilled and attention is concentrated firmly at the Wisdom Eye, does the Audible Life Stream have the magnetic effect." (Alistair Conwell)


1/11/2011 - Alistair Conwell - The Audible Life Stream, Part 2


Part Two - "The Audible Life Stream" - Program Length: 60 Minutes. Click to Download MP3:

"Believed to be the most fundamental way that the God-power manifests itself to human consciousness, the Audible Life Stream is considered by mystics to be like a spiritual highway along which all souls will have to travel in order to reach the source of this power.....In a very real sense the Audible Life Stream is a cosmic symphony to which all things, seen and unseen, unknowingly dance. Underpinning all physical and spiritual levels of creation; this symphony is endlessly being performed at the very essence of our being, since we are a microcosm of the entire universe." (Alistair Conwell)


12/28/2010 - The Gnostic Gospel of Thomas


Spiritual Awakening Radio Online: "The Gospel of Thomas" - Professor Stephen J. Patterson (Eden Theological Seminary, The Jesus Seminar, author of several books including translations of the Gospel of Thomas) - Program Length: 60 Minutes. Click to Download MP3: 


Other Recent Shows 

12/21/2010                 The Nag Hammadi Scriptures
12/14/2010                                       The 'Other' Bible
12/7/2010                             Lost Books of the Bible
11/30/2010    Rumi and the Sufi Poet-Mystics, PT 5
11/23/2010    Rumi and the Sufi Poet-Mystics, PT 4
11/16/2010    Rumi and the Sufi Poet-Mystics, PT 3
11/9/2010      Rumi and the Sufi Poet-Mystics, PT 2
11/2/2010      Rumi and the Sufi Poet-Mystics, PT 1


To Stream or Download These, 
GO TO:



Upcoming Programs on Buddhist Inner Sound and Light Mysticism



1/18/2011 Buddhist Inner Sound Meditation Part 1: Michele Michael, recounting the life and spiritual quest of Edward Salim Michael (1921-2006), author of a spiritual classic in the Buddhist community called, "The Law of Attention - Nada Yoga and the Way of Inner Vigilance", about encountering the sacred inner Sound. 


"When meditating with this Nada [Inner Mystic Sound], it is essential that the aspirant always seek and follow the particular aspect of it that is most subtle and 'ultra' in pitch as well as in brilliance. Even when the Sound becomes very shrill and loud in moments of deep concentration, he [or she] must not be tempted to be satisfied with it merely because it is sharp and resonant. He should relentlessly attempt to rise further and further into ever more subtle spheres of its mysterious Invisible Kingdom." (Edward Salim Michael, "The Law of Attention - Nada Yoga and the Way of Inner Vigilance", Published by Inner Traditions books of Vermont)


1/25/2011 Buddhist Inner Sound Meditation Part 2: Readings from the Shurangama Sutra (on the Transcendental Hearing of Quan Yin, the Compassionate One), Edward Salim Michael, Ajahn Sumedho, Dzogchen Ponlop, and other sources.


"You can experience the sound of silence in the mind. You hear it as a kind of high frequency sound, a ringing sound."  -- Ajahn Sumedho


"When the aspirant has recognized this Nada [Inner Sound] and familiarized himself well enough with it, he will perceive that, contrary to the ever-changing inner and outer conditions that he was used to up to that moment, this mystical Sound has a strange unearthly continuity about it. In addition to the description of this Sound given in the previous chapter, it can also be compared to the soft whisper of the wind and the continuous hissing noise of the ocean waves, with a shrill "ultra" Sound on top of it, composed of all the harmonics in the Universe. On higher spheres, this sacred Nada will have a strange sort of silvery aspect to it, somewhat similar to the uninterrupted jingling Sound of very little pieces of glass, with other smaller, ever more subtle Sounds superimposed on it, until finally these finer Sounds seem to disappear into infinity." (Edward Salim Michael, "The Law of Attention - Nada Yoga and the Way of Inner Vigilance", Published by Inner Traditions)


All for the love of wisdom and radio,
James Bean


Donate Button - Support by you, the friends of Spiritual Awakening Radio, is what allows this unique program to exist and keeps it on the air:


Mission Statement: 'There's not just one religion -- there are thousands! After years of being concerned that too few voices, too few points of view were getting heard when it comes to spiritual paths and world religions -- that the radio airwaves were not reflecting the diversity that really exists -- I started producing my own programs, exploring the world of spirituality, comparative religion, meditation, mysticism, websites, the vegetarian vegan diet, and books, bringing to the airwaves: the gentle voices of Saints, the Wisdom of Masters or Mystics, world scriptures, sacred texts, the great spiritual traditions and classics of the East & the West.' 


Interests: Exploring the World of Spirituality, Comparative Religion, Meditation, Websites, and Books, Including World Scriptures, Gnostic Texts, Spiritual Classics, Guidance by Living Teachers, and Other Books that Matter -- A Format of Essays and Interviews 





#473 From: SantMatMysticism <santmat_mystic@...>
Date: Sun Jan 30, 2011 3:55 am
Subject: Light and Sound on the Path: January 30th
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Light and Sound on the Path (Sant Mat Satsang E-Newsletter)
For the Week of January 30th - February 5th:




This is What I Mean by 'Sant Mat'

Below are spiritual quotes, satsang discourses, links, photos, audio and video (Light and Sound on the Path - Path of the Masters - the Way of the Saints/Sants).




"There are many people who want something from God, but those people are rare who want GOD." (Swami Ashutosh Baba)


"Whoever discovers the meaning of these sayings will not taste death." (Yeshua, Coptic Gospel of Saint Didymos Judas Thomas)


"Those who meditate on the Eternal, like the great ones have done, will discover the Eternal Teacher, residing in their own hearts." (Satguru Kabir)


"One can see that the body is more like a radio, more like a conscious entity in the universe that picks up things. Being born as a separate entity in the universe, we are a Point of Light, a conscious being in a separate form. We tend to assume we are a fixed, solid, physical person, but we are something greater than that -- not so limited, heavy, and fixed as our cultural conditioning makes it sound, or as we tend to perceive." (Ajahn Sumedho, The Sound of Silence)



Somewhere In Time Seeking the Timeless


Anurag Sagar: "Kal [time, limited mental perception] has entangled people in illusions to such an extent that they have totally forgotten their Real Home."


"By seeking the path within, one will go beyond the sensory realm...and will attain the State of Oneness." (Swami Sant Sevi Ji Maharaj, Bhagalpur, Bihar)


Non-attachment: "Be valiant of spirit and disentangle yourself, in any way you can, from the web of worldly attachments." (Sant Radhasoami Sahib)


"One who calls himself a Sikh [disciple] of the Guru, the True Guru, shall rise in the early morning and meditate on God's Name":


Amrit Veela: Brahmamuhurta, The Best Time For Meditation



In conversation with Swarmiji, he suddenly bursts out enthusiastically with "Brahmamuhurta!" This, I learn, is the time between 3.00 AM and 6.00 AM known as the most favourable time for Sadhana (one's spiritual practices). During Brahmamuhurta, so called as it is considered the most auspicious time for meditating on Brahman (God), the mind is calm and less engaged with worldly thoughts, worries and anxieties. Also the atmospheric energy during this time is more charged with sattva (purity), increasing the likelihood one's practice will go deeper, with the corresponding health and well-being benefits. (from the article, Meeting an Enlightened Master, Rishikesh, Sanctuary of Sadhus, Sages and the Occasional Enlightened Master)


The world is an inn where travelers assemble from different directions for the night and by morning take their respective destinations.


"The body shall turn to dust, and the soul shall fly away". (The Little Book of Spiritual Wisdom, by Jatinder Singh)


"To act without understanding is to lose the treasure of this human life." (Guru Amar Das)


"There is no meditation for one who is without wisdom (knowledge), and no wisdom for one who is without meditation. He, in whom there are meditation and wisdom, is close to Nirvana." (Dhammapada)


Spiritual Awakening Radio PODcast: "Buddhist Inner Sound Meditation Part Two": Readings from: The Sound of Silence, by Ajahn Sumedho; the Surangama Sutra - an ancient scripture about Transcendental Hearing as the way to enlightenment; Tao Te Ching of Lao Tzu; The Law of Attention - Nada Yoga and the Way of Inner Vigilance, by Edward Salim Michael; the Buddhism chapter of, Harmony of All Religions, from Swami Sant Sevi Ji Maharaj, and other sources, about encountering the sacred inner Sound Current. - Program Length: 60 Minutes. Click to Download MP3:



Satsang: Associating with Living Saints (Not Institutions)


"Remembering God, life is successful, if spent in the service of others." (Sant Dadu Dayal, quoted in the Dadu Vani)


"Through association of 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)


"Explaining 'Word' or Sound Current, Kabir says that for practical purpose the Sound Current assumes the form of Guru in this world and reforms the souls. Satguru carries a message from God and ties us to the thread of Naam Simran (i.e. concentration on the Word)." (Anurag Sagar)


Truth (Sat) Always Wins: "Truth should be the guideline in the performance of all activities, spiritual or temporal, for a satsangi. Nothing that falls short of truth should be acceptable to him [or her]." (Agam Prasad Mathur, Petals of Love)


"The Eternal Abode is Truth. Truth is the only religion. Truth is the name of God. Truth is the True Guru. Truth is Enlightenment." (Book of Brahm Nirupan)


"The Master always advises people to explore the Shabd in the depth of their hearts. But they ignore the pleas of the Master -- how then will their inner eyes open? Rare is the deserving soul who makes the teachings of the Master the foundation of his/her life." (Sant Radhasoami Sahib)


"This world is perishable and so also is all that pertains to it. A wise man is he, who, having closely examined the nature of existence here, has realized that it is all transitory and illusory, and consecrated his human form by devoting himself to Bhajan and Simran...." (Sant Radhasoami Sahib)


"You have slept for unnumbered ages; this morning will you not wake?" (Satguru Kabir)


"One who sleeps or shows indifference to the spiritual aspect of life remains buried under maya [illusion]. One who remains awake to the needs of the spirit automatically sleeps or becomes indifferent to maya." (Swami Ji Maharaj)


"We should understand that bhakti [love] is the life or soul of the entire universe." (Baba Devi Sahab)


"Deep within the nucleus of the self is the jewel." (Guru Amar Das)


The January Sant Mat Satsang PODcast with Veena Howard, who has translated two books: Moksha Darsana (Philosophy of Liberation) and Sarvadharma Samanvya (Harmony of All Religions). A great introduction to Traditional Sant Mat from an Indian Perspective. Program Length: One Hour and 17 Minutes. Click to Download MP3:


Note: Various quotes below from Swami Sant Sevi Ji Maharaj of Bhagalpur, Bihar, were translated into English by Pravesh K. Singh, Veena Howard, and a couple are from the new Inward Journey blog by Amit Jyoti, sevadar for Swami Ashutosh Gurusnehi, Santsevi Dhyanyog Ashram.


"God is found not in a man-made Kaba, but in natural Kaba (temple), within your own heart or self." (Swami Sant Sevi Ji)


Inner Light and Sound Meditation: Surat Shabd Yoga


"In each house (heart) the Light shines, but we are blind [ignorant of that divine Light] so we cannot see it. If we keep looking, we will find the Light and will destroy the shackles of death." (Kabir)


"The individual Soul has descended from the higher worlds [realms of the Divine] to this city of illusion [bodily existence]. It has descended from the Soundless State to the essence of Sound, from that Sound to Light, and finally from the realm of Light to the realm of Darkness. The natural tendencies of the Soul (Atman) are to move from outward to inward." (Swami Sant Sevi Ji)


"God is perceivable only through the soul. But our individual soul has become surrounded or covered by several sheaths or subtle bodies [astral, causal, etc...]. So long as it remains in the captivity of these various subtle bodies and the physical body, it will be under the knowledge of these bodies and organs only, will be under illusory knowledge only, and will not be able to realize God. In order to know Him, the Jiva-atma or the individual soul shall have to liberate itself from these bondage's. The one who is able to liberate himself from the body and subtle bodies, is able to lift himself beyond the universe, also." (Param Poojya Shahi Swami Ji Maharaj)


"The Current of consciousness which is dispersed in the nine gates of the body and the nine senses must be collected at the tenth gate (the sixth chakra, the Third Eye, Bindu, Center between the eyebrows). Therein lies the path for our return." (Swami Sant Sevi Ji)


"In this process of dhyan, the scattered consciousness gets fully collected and there appears a Refulgent Point which is according to holy Bhagwad Gita is the Infinitesimal Form of God. There appears the Refulgent Lights in the inner darkness and our consciousness starts hearing inner divine Sounds. In this state the true Master guides the practitioner...." (Swami Sant Sevi Ji)


"Whatever little is possible, do meditation everyday. But never ever give up or discontinue meditation. You will definitely meet with success." (Swami Sant Sevi Ji)


"All of you please keep on practicing meditation regularly, everyday. Gurudev will bestow you with success!" (Swami Sant Sevi Ji)


"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." (Swami Sant Sevi Ji)


"The main hindrances to success in the practice of meditation are the following: procrastination and laziness, activity of thoughts during meditation (day dreaming, fanciful imagination, planning, the rising of any kinds of thoughts)." (Swami Sant Sevi Ji)


"Unless we overcome the magnanimous challenge of procrastination and curb the ever-rising tide of mental activity during meditation, we cannot reach our Noble (arya) destination (state of unity with God). The un-vigilant practitioners usually become engrossed in thoughts or fall sleep. These formidable passes must be crossed for success." (Swami Sant Sevi Ji)


"During meditation we should be vigilant and awake. Whatever is our point of focus, we should diligently keep our mind on that goal and we will not be bothered by sleep." (Swami Sant Sevi Ji)


Quality Meditation - Focusing One's Attention (Surat)


"Without formless or subtle meditation, attainment of Inner Light is impossible. You must get yourself out of darkness. How will this happen? Prat-ya-hara -- bringing the mind back -- is followed by dha-rana, sustaining of focus for small periods. At first this will be for even a small time. Pratyanhara is the repeated practice of bringing the wandering mind to a focus. By repetitive practice of pratyahara we are able to focus for a little while on the object of meditation. This focusing for small periods is known as dharana. When this Dharana continues for extended periods, then the state of dhyana or complete focus occurs." (Swami Sant Sevi Ji)


"If you do the practice for a few days, the inner way will open before you. It is the path to reach the One God, the Most High." (Param Sant Tulsi Sahib of Hathras)


"Another indication of love, faith, and fervor is that one applies oneself diligently and enthusiastically to internal spiritual practices (abhyas), and also gets some bliss in it." (Huzur Maharaj, Prem Patra Radhasoami, Volume 5)


"Repeating God's Name is a very easy way to find God." (Sant Tukarama)


"Always keep your mind in simran. It will purify the mind. When pure it will be able to hear the inner Sound (Shabd Dhun)." (Baba Jaimal Singh)


Anurag Sagar: "As long as the jiva [soul] doesn't merge himself in Naam [the Sound Current], he wanders in this world. When he contemplates on the Formless and merges into Naam, all his doubts go away. If he merges into Naam even for a moment, Its greatness cannot be described."


Ek Ong Kaar Sat Naam Kartaa Purakh Nirbhao Nirvair Akal Moorat Ajoonee Saibhang Gurprasaad Jap Aad Sach Jugaad Sach Haibhee Sach Naanak Hosee Bhee Sach: The Creator of All is One - Truth is His Name - Jap Ji - from the Morning Prayer of Satguru Nanak:


"When we receive initiation from a Saint, practice Naam Simran to retrace our consciousness from toes to a spot behind the eyes [3rd Eye]. Only then something is accomplished." ("Anurag Sagar", Volume I, commentary by Baba Kehar Singh)


Beyond the Darkness, There is Light


"When we see darkness with our eyes closed, we are in the realm of death and re-birth [we are unaware of our true nature]." (Swami Sant Sevi Ji)


"What is the place to be reached? When we close our eyes and see darkness, this is the realm of ignorance. When the Light dawns within you, then you understand that you reside in noble regions. In darkness resides ignorance and in Light resides Knowledge." (Swami Sant Sevi Ji)


"Man's soul shall become, when it leaveth the body, a great flood of Light, so as to traverse all the regions until it cometh into the Kingdom of Mystery." (Yeshua, Gospel of Faith-Wisdom/Pistis Sophia)


"Seek, all of you, after the Light, so that the power of your soul that is in you may find Life. Do not cease seeking day or night until you find the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Light, which will purify you, transform you into pure Light, and guide you into the Kingdom of the Light." (Yeshua, Gospel of Faith-Wisdom/Pistis Sophia)


"When we come out of the realm of darkness and enter into the realm of Light, we will at the same time transcend the web of death. It is not possible that we can remain in darkness and be free from the net of birth and death. Having achieved Inner Light we can be liberated from the cycle of birth and death." (Swami Sant Sevi Ji)


On the Other Side of Silence, there is Heavenly Sound


"The Lord in Shabd form is always with you and is never far. (from a letter of Swami Ji Maharaj to Rai Saligram)


"Those are fortunate who are intent on listening to the inner celestial Sound of unqualified nirvana." (Jagjivan Sahab)


"He, who carries on the practice of the true Sound, beholds the Truth from the beginning to the end within his body. By realizing the true Sound with rapt attention, he attains the status of a pure swan. Such a devotee reaches the Immortal Abode, and there he sees mysterious and wondrous sights." (Sant Dariya Sahib)


"Consciousness that is traveling beyond Sunna (the Void) and Maha Sunna (the great void), traverses the realm of Banwar Gupha (the Whirling Cave). There it experiences the Sound of Truth (Sat), which is the Original Sound. This Sound embodies the essence of the spiritual preceptor. O practitioner! Hold onto that Sound and become one with that True Sound." (Maharshi Mehi)


"Where that Purusha (Supreme Being) resides, nothing else exists. This I know (from my experience). Whoever understands what I say [this mystery], has achieved Nirvana." (Kabir)


"When a soul is absorbed on the peak (highest inner realm) of Emptiness, then it experiences rapture." (Sant Charan Das)


"In the state beyond thought in Samadhi (deep meditation, Sunna, Emptiness), neither maya (illusion) or the web of mind exist. Only the gracious God exists." (Satguru Nanak)


"I have found the essence and truth of all practices and religions upon tasting the intoxication of the Beloved." (Sant Dadu Dayal)


"Through inner meditation the jiva-atman (individual soul) begins its ascent toward the Soundless State where it will eventually merge with God. When the soul thus experiences oneness with God, it will attain ultimate peace and supreme joy. Sant Mat teaches a path to the attainment of this joy and peace. This is the significance of the way of the Saints and the importance of Sant Mat." (Swami Sant Sevi Ji)


"Listening to the Sound of silence, you can begin to contemplate non-thinking, because when you are just listening to the cosmic Sound there is no thought. It's like this -- emptiness, not-self. When you're just with the cosmic Sound alone, there is pure attention, no sense of a person or personality, of 'me and mine'". (Ajahn Sumedho, The Sound of Silence)


Ultimate Reality: On the Other Side of Sound There is Anadi Purush, the Supreme Being


"We travel back from the realm of Darkness to the realm of Light, from the Light to divine Sound, and from the realm of Sound to the Soundless State. This is turning back. This is what dharma or religion really intends to teach us and it is the essence of dharma." (Swami Sant Sevi Ji Maharaj)


"There is a Being who is Inaccessible (Agam), unfathomable (Alakh), and Nameless (Anami), and who has no locality, and is not confined to space." (Param Sant Tulsi Sahib of Hathras, India)


Seven Stages of Mystic Ascension to Heaven According to Sant Mat - Three Important Requirements - and - Meditation Practice

 

The Seven Stages of Mystic Ascension to Heaven:

1) Praise or Bhakti [banis, bhajans];

2) Prayer;

3) Manas japa (simran, praying without ceasing, repeating the name of God -- mantra, the first stage of meditation);

4) Manas dhyana (visualising the form of the Master, second stage of meditation);

5) Dristi sadhana (seeing Inner Light at the Third Eye Center, third stage of meditation);

6) Nada Sadhana (hearing the Inner Sounds -- Surat Shabd Yoga, fourth stage of meditation);

7) Reaching Kaivalya (Oneness);


Soundlessness (Anadi, the Fifth Stage)

"Nameless [Anami], Unapproachable [Agam], Unseen [Alakh], is the Abode of Truth (the Supreme Reality). When the consciousness (soul) immerses in this Reality, the Saints declare it reaches the State of Nirvana." (Maharshi Mehi)


Three Important Requirements: Praise, Prayer, Meditation
By Sant Sevi Ji Maharaj
Harmony of All Religions


There are three important requirements to be met in the practice of a person who pursues devotion to the Divine and seeks to attain liberation. First is praise; second is prayer; and third is meditation. We know that when we are indebted to someone, we should express our gratitude and appreciation. God has blessed us bountifully.

Although we are unable to repay God for his generous blessings, we can acknowledge this goodness by chanting praises about the Divine Being. When we exalt God through song, we declare the glories of the Divine. In doing this, we remember the grandeur of God. As a natural result, our faith in God increases. Unless we acknowledge someone's qualities, it is impossible to be faithful to that person.

Tulsi Das Sahab says:

"Without having the knowledge of the nature of God it is impossible to know him. And without understanding his qualities we can not have love for God. Without love we cannot have devotion and true faith. This is as unattainable as the mixing of water and oil [which is impossible]."

Therefore, in order to have devotion and faith in God it is necessary to know the grandeur of God. Once the glory of God is known, our heart is attracted to God. This is a great way to keep your heart in devotion to God. Thus, it is through praise that we extol the divine powers of God and draw our mind toward God.

After singing praises to God we, then, pray. Prayer is supplication with deep humility. In general, people have desires and make demands. Only the great sages do not have wants.

Prayer and invocation are not merely concerned with the mindless muttering of requests, but rather, prayer should be the voice of our heart. God always listens to the one who calls out with a pure heart.


Communion or Meditation Practice


The practices of praise and prayer-glorification and invocation-are followed by communion through the practices of contemplation and meditation. The Sanskrit word upasana literally means sitting near God. The saints distinguish four categories of upasana. The four basic practices are:

1) Manas japa [simran],

2) Manas dhyana [dhyan],

3) Dristi sadhana [Yoga of inner Light] and

4) Nada-nu-sandhana [Yoga of nada/shabd/inner Sound].

-- Sant Sevi Ji Maharaj, Harmony of All Religions


Meditation Practice (Sadhana) According to Sant Mat Mysticism


There are several meditation practices in Sant Mat. There are several techniques described, the specific details of which are taught to students at the time of their deeksha (initiation) into the practice:

1) developing a daily routine, the habit of meditating at the same time or times each day;

2) proper posture with back straight so that one is truly focused at the Third Eye and remains alert and awake;

3) Manas Japa (simran), a mantra repetition of a sacred word or words chanted mentally;

4) Manas Dhyan, the technique of mentally visualising a form of God or one's teacher;

5) Drshti Yoga (Yoga of inner Light), the technique of focusing upon an Infinitesimal Point. This Point will eventually blossom into inner Light or visions of Light. One gazes into the middle of the darkness or the Light one sees while in meditation. Think of the Infinitesimal Point as being like a laser pointer or cursor keeping one focused. One passes from scene to scene and vision to vision always looking toward the center;

6) Nada Sadhana (Yoga of inner Sound or Bhajan), the practice of inner spiritual hearing; and,

7) reaching the State of Kaivalya: Oneness with the Supreme Being in the Pure Conscious Realm. The ultimate goal is to merge into the Upper Level of Kaivalya known as the Ocean of Love and Compassion, the Ultimate Reality of God in the Nirguna or Formless State, also described with terms such as Radhaswami (Lord of the Soul), Anami (The Nameless One) and Anadi (The Soundless State beyond inner Light and Sound).


A Living School of Spirituality: The Path of the Masters


"A time will come when you will find yourself among people whose company inspires you towards devotion to the Master and Naam." (Swami Ji Maharaj, Sar Bachan Radhasoami Poetry, Volume One)


"God, though present everywhere, is not perceived by our senses. Those initiated by an accomplished Master can see Him within themselves." (Maharshi Mehi)


"There is no end to the number of Sants who appeared in the yugas (epochs) of Sat, Treta, Dvapar, and Kali. I sing of the celebrated one I have encountered, and bow my head to all the others." (Jan Gopal, disciple of Sant Dadu Dayal)


Spiritual Awakening Radio PODcasts: My Guest: Alistair Conwell, author of the new book, 'The Audible Life Stream' -- On the Path of the Masters, Inner Light and Sound Meditation, Parts 1 and 2. Click to Download Both MP3s:

Part 1:

Part 2:




#474 From: SantMatMysticism <santmat_mystic@...>
Date: Tue Feb 8, 2011 5:20 am
Subject: Living Masters, Living Students
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Living Masters, Living Students, and God Bhakti (Love and Devotion)




"Spiritual seeking has the not-so-modest goal of revealing nothing less than the Divine, the Truth or Ultimate Reality. For far less modest goals than this we would not dare attempt their achievement without a qualified teacher. Our universities and the degrees they confer bear witness to this fact. For example, we would never attempt to acquire the skills of a professional airline pilot with mere reading, nor would we dare take instructions from someone who himself had never flown*. Common sense requires that we approach subjects such as aviation or any number of other technical subjects with the help of skillful teachers and tried and true curricula. Why then would we assume that the highest and arguably the most difficult of all goals could be achieved without a Teacher or Guide?" (Don Howard)

Rumi: "If you seek to know God, sit at the feet of the Saints".

"Obeisance to the best in the world, the guides of the world, the benefactors of the world, the light-givers of the world, the enlighteners of the world." (from a Jainist Sutra)

"Without a Master all scriptures are like the whispering of ghosts." (Sant Tukarama)

"Neither inherited beliefs nor those taken on hearsay can advance a seeker on the path of divine revelation." (from, "Love's Last Madness")

Guru Nanak says the True Guru unites us with God, gives us a Godward Focus: "That preceptor is worthy who unites the aspirant with God."

"The name of the Lord is to be obtained through initiation from a qualified Guru. Initiation, which is one of the core processes of all esoteric paths, is the medium through which the individual soul (jivatma) learns to transcend the fetters of space, time and causation, and gets transformed into the Noumenal world of the Param-atman. The Guru who initiates, is the one who is himself firmly established in the Noumenal experience." (Mahant Purushottam Das)

"The Satguru-given Gnosis [direct experience] is lit up in the heart, with whose Light is dispelled the darkness of spiritual ignorance." (Sri Guru Granth Sahib, English and Punjabi Translation, Manmohan Singh, Volume 3)

"When I arrived, I opened a path and taught people about the Way of Passage for those who are chosen and solitary, who have known the Father and have pursued Truth." (Yeshua, Gnostic "Dialogue of the Savior")

"This mysterious path is described in the holy books, but it cannot be found simply by the study of sacred texts. It is found by the grace and guidance of an Accomplished Teacher." (Swami Sant Sevi Ji Maharaj)


No Living Teachers - No Living Students

Books falling from the sky did not create the world religions. Before there was "The Book", there was the author of "The Book." Without living Teachers there would be no Torah, no Noble Truths and Eightfold Path, no Sermon on the Mount, no Golden Rule or Gospel of Thomas, no Suras of the Quran, no ahimsa message of Lord Maharvira in Jainism, no sages to compose the Upanishads, no Krishna and the Bhagavad Gita, no Jap Ji of Guru Nanak, no Tao Te Ching of Lao Tzu, no Golden Verses of Pythagoras. 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 Dadu, no Ravidas, no Mirabai, no Maharishi Mehi, no Sawan Singh, no Guru Kabir, no Sant Dariya Sahib, 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. 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 or group of people (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.


*"Has Never Flown" - Theory vs. Experience

A note about "the blind leading the blind". If a guru does not see inner Light or have inner experiences at the various levels or inner regions, his students probably won't either, even if he does teach the theory of these things. 


Not "All About Me" - Flee If the Focus of a Path is Not God-Bhakti 

"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." (Treasure of Spiritual Peace)

"The whole world makes an outer display,
whereas the practice of the Saint is within. 
This is the difference between the two; 
hence no accord is found between them......
There is a great difference between a Saint and a mimic, 
the two are as far apart as earth and sky. 
The Saint is absorbed in God, whereas 
the mimic pins his hopes on the world."
(Sant Dadu Dayal)

And of course, in the world are all-too-many examples corrupt leaders with a never-ending focus of consolidating their own power and influence. There is a section of the Anurag Sagar dedicated to this: "Yam Doots" - "Messengers of Death". "In the name of Kabir he will establish his path in the world. The souls who go to him, being controlled by illusion, will fall into the mouth of Kal."

It's interesting to notice that this phrase "fall into the mouth of Kal", the false god of time, death and illusion, was also used by Sant Dariya Sahib of Bihar: 

"Listen mindfully, O 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."


The Role of the Genuine Master is to Bring Us Into Our Own Experience of God

"All the world is entangled in meaningless rituals, and knows not the inner workings of God." (Guru Gobind Singh)

When approaching a spiritual path, one should seek out authoritative, original sources of information directly from that path, and not mentally filter a path in light of other, outside belief-systems one may be familiar with, attempting to understand a path using a distorted "lens" of the new age movement, other occult/esoteric systems, some fundamentalist ideology, materialism, or other far-distant philosophies.

The reality is, the classic definition of the genuine Guru from a traditional Indian perspective is "Light-giver". The Sant Satguru guides souls into a direct and personal experience of God here and now by teaching students to adopt the necessary methods of meditation practice, ethical values, and by cultivating a receptive attitude of God-bhakti (love and devotion).

In Sant Mat Mysticism the hansa is a soul that has been baptized in the Lake of Nectar and finds Its Original Nature restored -- then it continues it's upward ascent eventually reaching the Fifth Plane or Sat Lok. The Sants (souls have that reached the Fifth Plane or Above and are in Union with God) have composed, and continue to compose, descriptions of the Inner Regions, usually in the form of hymns (banis, bhajans) and mystic-poems, including about hansas in Sat Lok or Sach Khand (True Eternal Realm of Timeless Pure Spirit). We are all hansas or hansas-to-be as we journey back to the Beloved, the Ocean of Love and Oneness.

A Sant is a hansa-soul who, by his or her own spiritual Master, was mentored, and appointed to become the leader of a spiritual community. They are a Sant and Satguru as a result of their inward spiritual state of realization and oneness with God after countless hours of meditation, not based on an outward title, robe, turban, or image-making and public relations management. The Inward Reality is what counts.

The Sants of India have produced some of the most eloquent, ecstatic, God-devoted poetry, prayers and hymns the world has ever known. Below are selections from the Adi Granth (Sikh scriptures) as well as the mystic-poetry of Guru Kabir.


The Role of the Living Satguru According to the Adi Granth - Not a Book According to the Book!

"By the Guru's instruction the mind of the disciple is rendered immaculate and she keeps God clasped to her heart. She keeps God enshrined in her mind, arranges her affairs, and by the Master's instruction knows her Lord."

"My Beloved has fascinated my soul 
and I have obtained the Lord, 
the scribe of destiny."

"Serving the Satguru she attains eternal peace and God, the enemy of ego and pride, abides in her mind."  

"By the Master's instruction the name of God is contemplated. By the guru's grace, soul and body are saturated with the Lord and the Lord's name seems sweet to the mortal. The Lord's name seems sweet to them. He liberates all their families. With their mouths they utter the Lord's name. Their comings and goings cease. They obtain bliss, and their attention remains absorbed in the Celestial Music." (Sri Guru Granth Sahib, English and Punjabi Translation, Volume 5, Manmohan Singh, Publisher: Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, Amritsar)


Kabir's Ocean of God-Bhakti

Here the translator has preserved the numerous names for God that Kabir used in his mystic-verses. Guru Kabir:

The Remote, the Inaccessible 
makes a fort for His dwelling, 
which He illumines with His Light. 
Lightning flashes--there is bliss 
where the child Prabhu-Gobind plays.
 
My soul loves Ram's name: 
Old age, death, doubt flee. (Rest) 

They who care about castes 
are forever singing praises about themselves. 
But sweet melodies play unstruck 
where the Lord Prabhu-Gopal dwells. 

The remote, unknowable One, 
who established the earth, the spheres, 
the three worlds, and the three virtues, 
lives in every heart: None knows Dharnidhar's secrets. 

He reveals Himself in the blossom's fragrance. 
He dwells in the nectar of a mud-flower. 
His mantra is in the twelve-petalled heart, 
where the Lord Kamlakant dwells. 

His Light is visible above and below; 
He illumines the infinite sphere of silence: 
Neither sun nor moon are found there; 
the primal Niranjan enjoys Himself. 

He knows the universe and each heart. 
He bathes in Lake Mansarowar. 
His mantra is, "I am He"; 
He is not concerned with good deeds or bad.

He has no caste, nor is he caste-less; 
He knows neither pain nor solace. He is in 
the guru's house. He cannot be avoided. 
He knows, not birth or death: He is infinite silence. 

Those who search for Him in their hearts, 
and speak His words, will become Him. 
They who place His mantra of Light in their hearts, 
Kabir, say, "Those mortals will certainly swim across." 
(Songs of Kabir from the Adi Granth, Nirmal Dass, SUNY Press, NY)


"It is the mercy of my true Guru that has made me to know the Unknown;
I have learned from Him how to walk without feet, 
to see without eyes, 
to hear without ears, 
to drink without mouth, 
to fly without wings;
I have brought my love 
and my meditation into the land 
where there is no sun and moon, 
nor day and night.
Without eating, I have tasted of 
the sweetness of nectar; 
and without water, 
I have quenched my thirst.
Where there is the response of delight, 
there is the fullness of joy. 
Before whom can that joy be uttered?
Kabir says: "The Guru is great beyond words, 
and great is the good fortune of the disciple." 
(Songs of Kabir, Rabindranath Tagore)


The Competent Living Teacher

"Saints and sages have unveiled all the mysteries of the spiritual journey and of self-realization in their discourses. All the techniques have been documented in books. But without an Accomplished Teacher, we will not be able to understand the correct technique of true knowledge just by reading. 

"In the Bhagavad-Gita Lord Krishna says that for learning spiritual knowledge we must seek help from an accomplished seer [male or female]: 

'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 knowledge you wish to learn. After high school, the student thinks his direction and chooses a field of study: liberal arts, commerce, or science. If, for example, the student wants to learn liberal arts but goes to a professor of science instead, will this teacher have much to offer? The student must choose a professor proficient in the knowledge he wishes to learn. In the same manner, if you want to learn spiritual knowledge, then 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 (Spirit and matter, bondage and Liberation), and who practices a spiritual path. Such a Teacher should have attained direct experience of Truth through spiritual disciplines. This is Teacher you should take instruction from. The grace of Teacher is also necessary for success in the spiritual pursuit. When you learn the methods for inner meditation, you should practice diligently. Moral rectitude is also very essential in this pursuit." (Swami Sant Sevi Ji Maharaj, The Harmony of All Religions)

"I have deep faith in humanity. Enrich your mind and soul, so that you can live with peace and you can die with peace. To enrich your mind, satsang is essential, and to enrich your soul, you have to practice meditation." (Swami Ashutosh Gurusnehi)


Sant Mat Satsang PODcast at Blog Talk Radio - MP3 Available For Streaming and Downloading 

Reflections about the role of Sant Satgurus: The Competent Living Master, a Qualified Teacher, The True One, Genuine Mentor, a Righteous and Worthy Guide, A Fearless Being, Light-giver, Leader of a Spiritual Community. An Ode to the Sant SatGuru, in Praise of the Sant-soul of love who has reached the 5th plane or above, and merged in God. With gratitude to the Competent Qualified Teacher, the Living Master, the Living One. In a Sea of Samsara, of falsehood, illusion and posing, there is a bright Light in the darkness. A silent Music becomes audible. At the feet of such a Loving, Radiant One, the soul can not help but find inner Light and slip into deep samadhi meditation. In the eyes of the Sant are love, wisdom, light, compassion, grace, and a reflection of God. The definition of a Sant Satguru is someone who connects the soul with the Supreme Lord of Love. Readings are from: The Gospel of Thomas, Verses of Mirabai, Julian P. Johnson's praise of his spiritual Master in the book, Unquenchable Flame, two bhajans of Sant Dadu Dayal of Rajasthan, The Harmony of All Religions, and my Ode to the Sant Sat Guru. 

Program Length: 23 Minutes. Click To Listen:



#475 From: SantMatMysticism <santmat_mystic@...>
Date: Sat Feb 12, 2011 11:15 am
Subject: Gnosis - Acquaintance - Experiential Knowledge
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Gnosis - Acquaintance - Experiential Knowledge

Sant Mat Quote of the Day




Gnosis - Acqauintance - Experiencial Knowledge
Sant Mat Satsang Discourse Excerpted from, &#8220;Implicit Meaning of Knowledge - Satsang-Suman&#8221;, By Swami Ashutosh Gurusnehi, February, 2011, Sadguru Shanti Sandesh magazine [the Satguru&#8217;s Message of Peace, English Edition])The general dictionary definition of &#8220;knowledge&#8221; is perception or acquaintance, but it&#8217;s special or esoteric meaning includes: &#8220;Becoming aware of the Soul&#8221;, &#8220;Self-Realization&#8221;, &#8220;Veda&#8221;, &#8220;Divine&#8221;, etc&#8230;Knowledge can be something which is conducive to the public, creative, something which can beget peace, and something which can help with self progress. When true knowledge enters into one&#8217;s interior, it diminishes the evil encrustation over the mind and soul. One gets refined. Like the philosopher&#8217;s stone when touches iron, iron turns into gold. Similarly, with the touch of knowledge, a corrupt mind turns bright and pure.
The knowledge of the soul and Supreme Soul is the highest level of knowledge for human beings. It uplifts us from earthly suffering, births and deaths to the State of Salvation (i.e. Moksha, Nirvana).Lord Krishna, in the Bhagavad Gita says: &#8220;A reverent, stoic and meditation-absorbed person attains knowledge and immediately reaches ultimate peace&#8221;. (Bhagavad Gita 4:39) This means, knowledge is inevitable as a result of having reverence for the guidance of the Master, the subduing of one&#8217;s senses, and correct practice.In the context of this discussion, a precept of Lord Buddha summarizes it quite nicely: &#8220;No meditation without knowledge, no knowledge without meditation. Whosoever possess both meditation and knowledge, are near to salvation&#8221;. (Dhammapada)The statement of Lord Buddha clarifies that, for the process of meditation, knowledge is inevitable, and this is surely the knowledge of initiation (related to process of meditation practice as taught or revealed by a meditation-absorbed Master). And in the statement, &#8220;No meditation without knowledge&#8221;, knowledge refers to divine realization-related experience. The Mukti Upanishad also agrees with this that: &#8220;meditation produces knowledge and freedom of soul (i.e. salvation)&#8221;, saying: &#8220;The cause of meditation, from which knowledge and salvation is produced, is one-point-concentration (concentration of mind).&#8221;When the practitioner collects and joins both the currents of consciousness at a Single Point within, as taught by the Master, in a state of complete concentration, the veil of darkness breaks and he views the Refulgent Light. There he hears many melodious Inner Sounds. With the Master&#8217;s benevolence, he identifies the Quintessential Sound centered amongst those other Sounds. And with the help of that Quintessential Inner Sound, the practitioner&#8217;s consciousness ascends to the Soundness Realm. He knows soul and Supreme Soul by experience, attaining salvation in the Living State itself, and thus he becomes the Supreme Master. This is the ultimate Level of knowledge in which Light and Sound play the principal role.  ////////


Gnosis - Acquaintance - Experiential Knowledge


Sant Mat Satsang Discourse Excerpted from, “Implicit Meaning of Knowledge - Satsang-Suman”, By Swami Ashutosh Gurusnehi, February, 2011, Sadguru Shanti Sandesh magazine [the Satguru’s Message of Peace, English Edition])


The general dictionary definition of “knowledge” is perception or acquaintance, but it’s special or esoteric meaning includes: “Becoming aware of the Soul”, “Self-Realization”, “Veda”, “Divine”, etc…


Knowledge can be something which is conducive to the public, creative, something which can beget peace, and something which can help with self progress. When true knowledge enters into one’s interior, it diminishes the evil encrustation over the mind and soul. One gets refined. Like the philosopher’s stone when touches iron, iron turns into gold. Similarly, with the touch of knowledge, a corrupt mind turns bright and pure.



The knowledge of the soul and Supreme Soul is the highest level of knowledge for human beings. It uplifts us from earthly suffering, births and deaths to the State of Salvation (i.e. Moksha, Nirvana).


Lord Krishna, in the Bhagavad Gita says: “A reverent, stoic and meditation-absorbed person attains knowledge and immediately reaches ultimate peace”. (Bhagavad Gita 4:39) This means, knowledge is inevitable as a result of having reverence for the guidance of the Master, the subduing of one’s senses, and correct practice.

In the context of this discussion, a precept of Lord Buddha summarizes it quite nicely: “No meditation without knowledge, no knowledge without meditation. Whosoever possess both meditation and knowledge, are near to salvation”. (Dhammapada)

The statement of Lord Buddha clarifies that, for the process of meditation, knowledge is inevitable, and this is surely the knowledge of initiation (related to process of meditation practice as taught or revealed by a meditation-absorbed Master). And in the statement, “No meditation without knowledge”, knowledge refers to divine realization-related experience. The Mukti Upanishad also agrees with this that: “meditation produces knowledge and freedom of soul (i.e. salvation)”, saying: “The cause of meditation, from which knowledge and salvation is produced, is one-point-concentration (concentration of mind).”

When the practitioner collects and joins both the currents of consciousness at a Single Point within, as taught by the Master, in a state of complete concentration, the veil of darkness breaks and he views the Refulgent Light. There he hears many melodious Inner Sounds. With the Master’s benevolence, he identifies the Quintessential Sound centered amongst those other Sounds. And with the help of that Quintessential Inner Sound, the practitioner’s consciousness ascends to the Soundness Realm. He knows soul and Supreme Soul by experience, attaining salvation in the Living State itself, and thus he becomes the Supreme Master. This is the ultimate Level of knowledge in which Light and Sound play the principal role.  ////////



Tagged: sant mat, radhasoami, radha soami, santmat, surat shabd yoga, path of the masters, inner light and sound meditation, quan yin method, science of spirituality, science of the soul, India, Buddha, Jainism, upanishads, Lord Mahavira, jain, buddhism, hinduism, mysticism, enlightenment, nirvana, Krishna, Bhagavad Gita, supreme master, initiation, self realization, the soul, knowledge, consciousness, awareness,




#476 From: SantMatMysticism <santmat_mystic@...>
Date: Thu Feb 17, 2011 9:47 pm
Subject: Gnostic Radio: Spiritual Awakening Radio Podcasts
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Gnostic Radio: Spiritual Awakening Radio Podcasts

The Lost Gnostic Spirituality of the West Series, Parts 1, 2, and 3, with Marvin Meyer, Professor of Bible and Christian Studies and Director of the Albert Schweitzer Institute at Chapman University in California. Among his recent books are: The Nag Hammadi Scriptures, The Gospel of Thomas - The Hidden Sayings of Jesus, The Gospel of Judas, The Unknown Sayings of Jesus, The Gospels of Mary (Magdalene), Ancient Christian Magic - Coptic Texts of Ritual Power, and, The Gnostic Bible.




Part One of my conversation with Marvin Meyer, exploring "the Lost Gnostic Spirituality of the West", the very latest information about Gnostic discoveries in Egypt. Program Length: 60 Minutes. Click to Download MP3 and Hear This Edition of Spiritual Awakening Radio:

Part Two of my conversation with Marvin Meyer, exploring "the Lost Gnostic Spirituality of the West", the latest information about the People of the Nag Hammadi Library - those who copied and studied Coptic Gnostic writings during the Second, Third, and Fourth Centuries AD in Egypt. Program Length: 60 Minutes. Click to Download MP3 and Hear This Edition of Spiritual Awakening Radio:

Part Three of my conversation with Marvin Meyer, exploring "the Lost Gnostic Spirituality of the West": A fascinating reflection upon the Gnostic scriptures, those who copied and studied them so long ago near Nag Hammadi, Egypt, along with a tantalizing reference to the newly discovered Al gurna texts. The world awaits their eventual publication. Program Length: 60 Minutes. Click to Download MP3 and Hear This Edition of Spiritual Awakening Radio:

All for the love of wisdom and radio,

James
Spiritual Awakening Radio





Tagged: spiritual awakening radio, podcasts, james bean, comparative religion, spirituality, marvin meyer, nag hammadi library, gospel of judas, gnostic gospels, gnostic radio, lost books of the bible, mysticism, vegetarian, out of body, mysticism,




#477 From: SantMatMysticism <santmat_mystic@...>
Date: Thu Feb 24, 2011 7:14 am
Subject: Unexplored Worlds Within
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Unexplored Worlds Within


The Sant Mat Quote of the Day:


Meister Eckhart: “If the soul is to see God, then it must see no temporal thing, for as long as the soul is conscious of time or space, or of an idea, it cannot know God.”

Even as the Hubble Space Telescope had to be placed above the turbulence and distortion of earth’s atmosphere in order to see clearly into the cosmos, so too the mystic needs to rise above body-consciousness and mind to know that Other Realm we also are part of as spiritual beings.

The awareness or attention of the soul (surat) must become untethered and free from the temporal world of the five senses, mental images, impressions, attachments, and memories during meditation practice in order to experience that Other Realm of Spirit that we inhabit. Not many are willing to take the time to do this and enter into the silence and stillness beyond the physical, dream, and mental states. “Be still and know that I am God.”



#478 From: SantMatMysticism <santmat_mystic@...>
Date: Sun Feb 27, 2011 7:01 am
Subject: Traditional Sant Mat From An Indian Perspective - Light and Sound on the Path
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Traditional Sant Mat From An Indian Perspective - Light and Sound on the Path - Satsang E-Newsletter: 


[Below: a link to a Sant Mat Satsang Podcast; excerpts from three newly translated articles on the Esoteric Path of Sant Mat published in Sadguru Shanti Sandesh magazine - English Section; numerous spiritual quotes of the Masters from various parts of India, a couple of Gnostic quotes from Egypt, a Buddhist passage, a Jain Prayer For Peace; and a link to a Youtube video of an Indian Classical Raga performed on the veena.]




A Sant Mat Satsang PODcast: Hear readings from the following sources: "Petals of Love", by Professor Agam Prasad Mathur of Agra, on the history and spirituality of the classic Sants of India; verses of the Devotional Poetry of Saint Namdev from a text known as the "Hindi Padavali"; "The Harmony of All Religions", by Swami Sant Sevi Ji Maharaj, on the primary goals of this living school of spirituality from India known as Sant Mat; also a reading about the astral plane or region known as The Thousand Petalled Lotus (Sahas-dal-kanwal), from the book, "Enchanted Land". That reading includes a passage from the "Sar Bachan Poetry" of Swami Ji Maharaj, Volume One. On the ahimsa ethics of the Masters, there is a reading from the "Saakhi Granth" of Guru Kabir. Program Length: 35 Minutes. Click to Download MP3: http://bit.ly/fICMbv




"If you are an ocean, I am like a wave; I rise from you and I retire and return unto you." (Swami Ji Maharaj)




Kabir: "The essence of life is in remembering God."


"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." (Kabir Vani 1008)


"Only seeing great souls does not bring well-being to anyone. What's needed is to listen to their words, contemplate their teachings, and put them into practice. This means to listen to the words of great souls with veneration, ponder their meaning, and live accordingly. This is what works." (Baba Devi Sahib)




"If you want to know your past life, look at your present condition. If you wish to know your future life, examine your present actions." (Swami Ashutosh Gurusnehi)




"Every person can become great, but it depends upon four factors: self-confidence, hard work, patience, and honesty." (Swami Ashutosh Gurusnehi)


"When ever you are in trouble, sit down for doing simran (repetition of the holy names). When you reach the state of concentration, then you are surrounded by a protective aura automatically. No power on earth can harm you then. Therefore, do simran and be anxiety-free." (Anurag Sagar, Volume Two)


"Come turn the wheel of simran. It will readily open up the melody of Shabd." (Swami Ji Maharaj)


"A mind unshaken when touched by the worldly states, sorrowless, stainless, and secure, this is the blessing supreme. Those who have fulfilled all these are everywhere invincible; they find well-being everywhere, theirs is the blessing supreme." (adapted from the Mangala Sutta in, "Teachings of the Buddha," edited by Jack Kornfield)


"Wherever one's thought dwells, there will that person rest. At his pleasure, he may go to the delusion of unreality or he may merge into the Lord of the self. Where you keep your mind while living, to that abode shall you go after death. The soul finds lodging in a place wherein it has hitherto been immersed." (Sant Dadu Dayal)


"'G-o-d-i-s-n-o-w-h-e-r-e' -- this can be read as 'God is nowhere' or 'God is now here'. It depends on our thinking. So think positive." (Swami Ashutosh Gurusnehi)


Asked the Yogis: By what means are we bound and overcome by maya [illusion]? How does one gain or loose? Said Guru Nanak: The negative thoughts of the mind are what bind us, and then we are overcome by maya. The self-centered one loses, and the one who obeys the will of His Creator is the one who gains. (Book of Sidh Gosht)




Said the Yogis: The one who can give us the true answers is our Guru. Said Guru Nanak: By meeting the True Guru all darkness is dispelled, the ego is stilled and one is united with God. (Book of Sidh Gosht)


"The brilliant Light of surrender has revealed to me the Essence and the True Form of my Master." (Param Sant Tulsi Sahib of Hathras)


"What is the place to be reached? When we close our eyes and see Darkness, this is the realm of ignorance. When the Light dawns within you, then you understand that you reside in noble regions. In Darkness resides ignorance and in Light resides Knowledge." (Swami Sant Sevi Ji Maharaj)


"All the rulers (archons) of the height have tried to deceive me into believing that I am only a body of matter without Light in it. And after this the merciless powers surrounded me, and tried to take away all the Light that was in me. But You appeared to me out of the darkness and I trusted You, O Light, and said: 'You are the one who liberated me. I thank You O Light for having compassion on me. And You have saved me, O Light, with your Gnosis [Mystical Knowledge].'" (Book of Pistis Sophia, Faith Wisdom)


Param Sant Tulsi Sahib: "In this life the concept of salvation all describe. To met the Lord by dying-while-living, none discloses. They all speak of the goal of salvation after death. How to attain it while living, no one says. Were they to reveal the Method of attaining release while living, then alone would Tulsi be convinced of their words."




"Look for and search for God within yourself, within your own body. God resides inside - look for him there." (Maharishi Mehi)


"Within the innermost recesses, all spirituality is one and it has never undergone any division. Our spirituality or soul (Surat) is an emanation from the Supreme Being. Within the innermost recesses it is one with the Lord." (Discourses of Babuji Maharaj, Volume Three)




Sadguru Shanti Sandesh is published by Maharshi Santsewi Dhyanyog Ashram, Satsang Nagar, Sabour, Bhagalpur (Bihar), INDIA. The True Master's Message of Peace (Sadguru Shanti Sandesh), is a spiritual and social monthly magazine based on the harmony of all religions.


Below is Excerpted From the February, 2011 Edition of Sadguru Shanti Sandesh Magazine - English Section: 

God is the Creator of Yoga, By Param Sant Baba Devi Sahib

There are two types of dharma in the world. They are first, "udhaar", and second, "nakad". Udhaar dharma is that in which it is said, one attains salvation after death, and nakad dharma is that in which the state of salvation is believed to be experienced/attained during this lifetime. People keep thinking and living on-borrowed-dharma. Some are involved in rituals and outward devotions, while others are pretending to have become divine themselves. They are unaware of the natural screens or veils of Darkness, Lights and Sounds between jiva-souls and God. (God is veiled by five different bodies and subtle bodies, each one inside the other [physical, astral, causal, mental, and etheric]). These are veils which can't be transcended by merely reading some mantras or performing yagna or outward devotions/rituals. For them to be shed, you will surely have to be oriented towards going within, perform Dristi-sadhana [Yoga of Inner Light], and Shabd-sadhana [Yoga of Inner Sound], which will make it possible for your consciousness to travel along the solitary Inward Path, crossing the natural and supra-natural realms to reach to such an auspicious place from where your soul would never become detached again to return back in the outer world. But no one can really know of, and practice, these processes by simply reading authentic scriptures.

First of all, the screen of Darkness can be accessed by closing your eyes. Secondly, the screen or veil of Light can be experienced by crossing the Darkness. Thirdly, the veil of Sounds can be known by listening to them. Fourthly, not so much a screen or veil, but there is a Mystery which can not be understood like the first, second and third. It can only be experienced by perfect practice. 

According to Sant Mat, having crossed these realms or levels, we achieve the final goal called Mukti (i.e. salvation). To attain liberation/salvation, Sant Mat does not follow numerous complicated practices, but two essential methods: 

1) Drishti Marg (i.e. the Path of inner Light/Vision) and,

2) Shabd Marg (i.e. the Way of inner Sound/Transcendental Hearing). 

Unlike other worship methods popular in religions and sects with different names, these two methods are not man-made. God himself is the founder and operator of these methods. Since the beginning God has kept these two methods inside human beings with full qualifications. The way of redemption of jivas (i.e. bounded souls) is available within all human beings. Unless the jiva walks along this way, it can't achieve salvation; the real and ultimate goal of religion. (Baba Devi Sahab) ////////


"If anyone becomes a child of the bridal chamber, he will receive the Light. If anyone does not receive it while he is here, he will not be able to receive it in the other place either." (Gnostic Gospel of Philip, Nag Hammadi Library of Egypt)


Param Sant Tulsi Sahib: "0 Jiva [captive Soul somewhere in time]! Give up all blind adherences and beliefs, concentrate within and seek the Supreme Being there, adopting Him alone as your goal. Do ponder over what I say and see for yourself with eyes wide open that there is none in this world whom you can call your own. You should adopt the Supreme Being alone as your prop and support."




"Dying, dying, the world keeps dying, but none knows how to die. No one dies in such a way that he won't die again." (Bijak of Kabir)


Kabir: "Go where you will, to Benares or to Mathura; if you do not find your soul, the world is unreal to you."


"The Master always advises people to explore the Shabd in the depth of their hearts. But they ignore the pleas of the Master -- how then will their inner eyes open? Rare is the deserving soul who makes the teachings of the Master the foundation of his/her life." (Sant Radhasoami Sahib)


"The best of all true things is a true heart. Without truth, no happiness, though you may try a million tricks." (The Bijak of Kabir)


Anurag Sagar: "Kal has entangled people in illusions to such an extent that they have totally forgotten their real Home."


S.O.S. - Sincerity of Spirituality - The Basis of Truth

The Editorial Below is From the January, 2011 Edition of Sadguru Shanti Sandesh Magazine - English Section




"Santmat" is the combination of two words: "Sant" and "Mat". "Sant" originates from the Sanskrit "Santah", which means Truth. Whosoever has adopted true ethics with his mind: in precept and in deeds, and in addition to this, who has realized God, such a great human is eligible to be called a Sant. 

"Mat" refers to teaching or guidance. For the well-being of humans, Sants have formulated principles to be adopted during life. Those principles are SANTMAT. This is most successful art of living, whose essence and basis is truth. Just as the sun is meaningless without heat, "Santmat" is core-less, purposeless, or rather, it is non-existent without truth. 

Rather than just receiving initiation into Sant Mat, if someone adopts truth, lives and works on behalf of truth, then he or she is relatively closer to Sant Mat. Is it worth believing that by going away from truth anybody can adopt Sant Mat? I believe, if we want to serve Sant Mat (which we pledge while receiving initiation: "For the progress of Sant Mat I will always be helpful with my mind, health and wealth"), then we should adopt truth in our lives. At least if we won't accompany lies, won't proliferate lies, we would be saved from major flaws. The holy Master Maharshi Mehi said: "Lying is the father of all sins. He, who learned to tell lies, will also learn to execute all the sins". We describe ourselves as disciples but if we don't wish to live according to Master's guidelines, then what will be our condition? Sahjo Bai has said: "Who doesn't obey the Master and even blames the Master, such a cynic fellow lives miserably in life and doesn't attain liberation after death."

Today's situation is has worsened to the degree that everywhere there is supremacy of slyness. (Liars are honored. The truthful are getting damned. Hypocrites and opportunists are everywhere worshiped.)

Let us leave the matter of cults. Truth is everyone's religion: "There is no other religion higher that truth." "Truth always wins, not falsehood". The Taitiriyopnishad says: "Speak truth, adopt religion". This implies truth is the highest priority compared to religion. The Mahabharata says: "There's no religion like truth" and, "even thousands of oblations are inferior compared with truth". The degree anyone adopts truth, is the degree he moves towards greatness. It's everyone's duty to not believe directly in rumors. Rather, go to the source, so as to not become liable of the sin of proliferating lies.

The universal teaching of Sants is Truth and Non-Violence. If we would decide to adopt these as the basis of our life, then our future life would surely be bright. (Sadguru Shanti Sandesh) ////////

 
"Forgive do I creatures all, and let all creatures forgive me. 
Unto all have I amity, and unto none enmity. 
Know that violence is the root of all miseries in the world. 
Violence is the knot of bondage." (Jain Prayer For Peace)


"The Masters say that two things are essential for success on the spiritual path: first a genuine urge, a passion for it; and second, regular practice. If either one of these is lacking, our efforts will not be fruitful." (Kirpal Singh)


"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.'" (Kabir Vani 1008)


Below is From the January, 2011 Edition of Sadguru Shanti Sandesh Magazine - English Section: 

Behavior Generates Our Future, Satsang-Suman, By Swami Ashutosh 
Gurusnehi



Respectable God-seekers, prestigious villagers, religion-loving brothers - sisters, and dear children:

If we wish to be rid of sorrows and the slavery of situations, then never put on any new trammels of attachments, and try to get rid of old trammels. With the strength of our efforts we can create our fortune. Lord Buddha has said: "Humans are the owner of their own state -- who else can be his owner?" Lord Sriram has suggested the way to be freed from bondages, saying: "There is a door of salvation inside this body". We will have to become aware of this door and go through it. We know about nine doors of our body which are all so unclean. How could you think any of these doors could be the door to freedom? The precept of Satguru Maharshi Mehi Paramhans Ji Maharaj is: "Leave the unclean nine doors of the body and ascend through the Tenth Door and get the bliss." The Tenth Door is the Portal to salvation [Jiva Mukti] and the place for happiness. 

This is also the junction of Ida, Pingala and Sushumna. In the Gyan Sankalini Tantra, it says: "There are three principal currents, namely Ida [left], Pingala [right] and Sushumna [middle], there inside this body which are like the Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati, respectively. The junction of these three rivers is called "Triveni" -- the best place of pilgrimage. By being immersed into that, we get rid of all our sins.

Being baptized in the outer "Triveni" (i.e. junction of the rivers Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati) does not cleanse our sin, but the internal Triveni makes us sacred like God, then God becomes accessible. This is the ultimate achievement of human life. To attain this we need to practice virtue, true companionship/satsang, and meditation. (This discourse was given in the evening get-together at Shivkumari Pahar, Kahalgaon, Bhagalpur, on 10/19/2010.)  ////////  


"Redemption will be effected by the attraction of love. The Supreme Being is all-love. He is a vast reservoir of love.

"The attraction of love is present in every particle of the creation. Nothing is outside the range of its attraction. The difference is only one of degree or intensity. It is by the attraction of love that the creation is maintained and sustained. All actions are taking place by the force of attraction.

"'Give up the fear and regard for the world. Heed what I say, perform Bhakti [love and devotion]." (Soami Ji Maharaj)

"Surat [the attention of the Soul] is the doer of everything. Perfect Bhakti (love and devotion) consists in the complete merging of all one's spirituality in the Supreme Being."

-- Babuji Maharaj, "The Discourses of Babuji Maharaj," Volume III, Agra


"God cannot be grasped by the mind. If He could be grasped, He would not be God". (Swami Ashutosh Gurusnehi)


Guru Nanak: "A person must become a devotee of God, leaving all illusions behind."


"The world is a bridge. Pass over it, but do not build your dwelling there." (Yeshua, Saying 200 — an inscription from a mosque at Fatehpur Sikri, India, translated in, The Unknown Sayings of Jesus, Marvin Meyer, Harper Collins)


YouTube Video/Audio: Indian Classical Raga: The sweet sounds of the Veena, considered to be one of the highest of heavenly melodies or a beautiful imitation thereof:




Tagged: sant mat, radhasoami, radha soami, santmat, surat shabd yoga, path of the masters, inner light and sound meditation, quan yin method, science, spirituality, the soul, India, Buddha, Jainism, upanishads, Lord Mahavira, jain, buddhism, hinduism, mysticism, enlightenment, nirvana, Krishna, Bhagavad Gita, supreme master, initiation, self realization, the soul, knowledge, consciousness, awareness,



#480 From: SantMatMysticism <santmat_mystic@...>
Date: Wed Mar 16, 2011 6:40 am
Subject: Rise to meet the day lest you become another tale
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Rise to meet the day 

lest you become another tale


We told our tales as we sat under
Morning’s sleepy sky
With all the colours of the sunrise
Shining in our eyes.

One, then another, with a story of yesterday’s lives
Or of a lover who had gone in a
Moment of strife.

No thought of sleep ever dwells upon
The wise man’s mind
Some task or audience stealing every
Moment of his time.

Thus we have learned to live
While mortal men stand waiting to die.
How can we do what must be done in
Just one short life.

And if you ask, then you must know.
If you still doubt, you should be told.
It was not we that made it so.
It was by those who went before.

And there you sit, tomorrow’s child
So full of love, so full of life
But you must rise to meet the day
Lest you become another tale

And there you sit, tomorrow’s child
So full of love, so full of life
But you must rise to meet the day
Lest you become another tale

Another tale, another tale
Another tale


- Uriah Heep - “Tales”:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Q39Om8sC4k





#481 From: SantMatMysticism <santmat_mystic@...>
Date: Thu Mar 17, 2011 7:13 am
Subject: If one is whole, one will be filled with Light
santmat_mystic
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If one is whole, one will be filled with Light, but if one is divided, one will be filled with darkness. (Yeshua, Gospel of Thomas)

The first Initiation is the divine birth, meaning birth to a spiritual life. (Illumination, Dionysius the Areopagite)




"When we see darkness with our eyes closed, we are in the realm of death and re-birth [we are unaware of our True Nature]. When we come out of the realm of darkness and enter into the realm of Light, we will at the same time transcend the web of death. It is not possible that we can remain in darkness and be free from the net of birth and death. Having achieved inner Light we can be liberated from the cycle of birth and death." (Swami Sant Sevi Ji Maharaj)

There are living spiritual Masters who are competent, qualified teachers (as well as representatives of those Masters), and they can initiate people into this form of meditation practice. If this is a possibility you're interested in exploring, email me at:

SantMatMysticism@...  
[SantMatMysticism (at) GMail (dot) com]

Namaste’, 
James



Taggs: inner light, light of God, True Nature, visions, mysticism, sant mat, radhasoami, surat shabd yoga, meditation, out of body experiences, oobes, ndes, near death experience, soul travel, 



#482 From: SantMatMysticism <santmat_mystic@...>
Date: Thu Mar 24, 2011 9:05 pm
Subject: Power of Attention - Surat
santmat_mystic
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Power of Attention - Surat


"So, all True Masters say that realizing God is a simple matter — What is there to realizing the Lord? Just uproot the attention from here and plant it there. It is simply a matter of withdrawing and gathering together the scattered attention. As you know, the rays of the sun under normal conditions will not ignite anything; but if you pass them through a convex lens and thereby concentrate them, anything they settle upon will burst into flames. The whole of this life’s purpose is to become still — to withdraw from outer environments, and to concentrate. You have great strength in you." (Kirpal Singh)


Sant Mat Quote of the Day:


Tagged: kirpal singh, sant mat, radha soami, surat shabd yoga, inner light and sound, meditation, soul travel, india, God, surat, attention,



#483 From: SantMatMysticism <santmat_mystic@...>
Date: Thu Mar 24, 2011 10:23 pm
Subject: Recent Podcasts of Spiritual Awakening Radio
santmat_mystic
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Recent Podcasts 
of Spiritual Awakening Radio 

The Search For Other Earths: Doug Vakoch of the SETI Institute, Part 1 on Spiritual Awakening Radio - Click to Download and Listen: http://download.liveindexer.com/podcasts/HealthyLifeOD/Audio//ECI_AUTO/Mar2011/SPA030811_wma.mp3

The Search For Other Earths: Doug Vakoch of the SETI Institute, Part Two on Spiritual Awakening Radio - Click to Download and Listen: http://download.liveindexer.com/podcasts/HealthyLifeOD/Audio//ECI_AUTO/Mar2011/SPA031511_wma.mp3

The Yoga of Inner Sound - Sound Mysticism in the World Religions, Part 1 - Click to Download and Listen:

Vegans Are Cool on Spiritual Awakening Radio: Kathy Divine, author of the new vegan book, Forever 21 - The Empowering Guide to Reclaiming Your Youth, Beauty, Health, Happiness and Spirituality - Click to Download and Listen: http://download.liveindexer.com/podcasts/HealthyLifeOD/Audio//ECI_AUTO/Mar2011/SPA030111_wma.mp3

Listener Supported Radio - Please See Donate Button Here:

Each of the programs above will be available for free online for about 15 weeks or three months.

All for the love of wisdom and radio,
James



#484 From: SantMatMysticism <santmat_mystic@...>
Date: Wed Mar 30, 2011 10:24 pm
Subject: The Basic Ethical Foundation of Sant Mat
santmat_mystic
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The Basic Ethical Foundation of Sant Mat

Genuine Masters (Sant Satgurus) from the beginning of time to the living present, East and West, have articulated the following basic ethical principals below. All or any authentic branches of Sant Mat or Radhasoami Faith (founded by Kabir, Dharam Das, Tulsi Sahib, Soami Ji Maharaj, Huzur Maharaj/Rai Saligram, Shiv Brat Lal, Hazur Baba Sawan Singh, Kirpal Singh, Maharshi Mehi, etc... and their successors) have always adhered to these and continue to do so. These same precepts are also to be found in forms of Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism. I also know of expressions of Islam, Judaism, and Christianity that advocate them as well.

I mention this, as there are always a few new age or metaphysical-type voices in the West arguing to minimize the moral component of spirituality, suggesting for instance that strict adherence to a compassionate vegetarian diet is somehow merely "cultural", based only upon geography. Yet there is no longitude and latitude of Shabd. There is no "East and West" within you, or with the laws of physics, or quantum physics on the material plane. The law of gravity applies East or West, compassion and peaceful ways of living also are the universal values of the soul. To be sure, there is a moral compass within. 

Rather than limiting or restricting, these values help to protect us, and others, from harm, promote mental clarity, a peaceful way of living conducive to serious meditation practice, and, if followed, reduce suffering in the world. The Path of the Masters, and it's spiritual practice known as Surat Shabd Yoga, is a timeless universal path of mysticism. 

Of course, the Sant Satgurus articulate many other helpful principals of ahimsa in thought, word, and deed (see the Sakhi Granth of Kabir, the Bijak, Sar Bachan Radhasoami, writings of Sawan Singh, etc...), but these below make for a great beginning! a healthy foundation for one's spiritual journey following Sant Mat.

And, last but not least. Quite often in the West when it comes to the question of the vegetarian diet, colored by a "Greco-Roman" or European version of Jesus, people exclaim, "What about the fishes with the loaves and Passover Lamb?" Therefore, further below, is a passage from one of the Ebionite gospels used, not by Paul or later religious institutions, but by Aramaic-speaking disciples of the original Jesus Movement of Palestine, who were vegetarians and preserve a fascinating account of events and teachings. Its author also had very complementary and respectful things to say about kindred souls from India he recognized as following the same ethical and spiritual principals. 

May the Blessings Be,
James Bean
http://SantMat.Tumblr.com
http://www.Twitter.com/Radhasoami


Moral Requirements for Initiation into Sant Mat


1. Abstinence from alcohol and drugs (intoxicants);


2. Ahimsa (Non-Violence in thought, word, and deed) including in the area of diet, as in following a vegetarian diet (abstinence from meat, fish, and eggs);


3. Leading a truthful life;


4. Practicing non-stealing: an honest, ethical source of income;


5. Loyalty to ones spouse;


. Another Version of the same Precepts 


1) Refrain from taking the life of sentient beings. This precept also requires strict adherence to a lacto-vegetarian diet (no meat, fish, poultry nor eggs, fertilized or non-fertilized).


2) Refrain from speaking what is not true.


3) Refrain from taking what is not yours.


4) Refrain from sexual misconduct.


5) Refrain from using intoxicants.


An Amazing Passage from One of the Ebionite Vegetarian Gospels

"There are likewise amongst the Bactrians, 
in the Indian countries, 
immense multitudes of Brahmans, 
who also themselves, 
from the tradition of their ancestors, 
and peaceful customs and laws, 
neither commit murder nor adultery, 
nor worship idols, 
nor have the practice of eating animal food, 
are never drunk, 
never do anything maliciously, 
but always fear God."

-- Recognitions of Clement



#485 From: SantMatMysticism <santmat_mystic@...>
Date: Sun Apr 3, 2011 4:52 am
Subject: Who You Are - Light and Sound on the Path - Sant Mat Satsang
santmat_mystic
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Who You Are - Light and Sound
on the Path - Sant Mat Satsang




Be without ear, without sense, without thought,
And hearken to the call of God, "Return!"
Our speech and action is the outer journey,
Our inner journey is above the sky
The body travels on its dusty way;
The spirit walks, like Jesus, on the sea.

-- Rumi


"The whole creation is sustained by God who is not a distant Deity but closer is He than anything else." (Kirpal Singh)




The essence of Atma and Parmatma is Prem (love).

Sat Naam (True Name) is the embodiment of Bhakti

(devotion).


Bhakti (devotion) and Bhagwant (the Supreme

Being) are one. Sat Guru is the embodiment of

Prem (love).


You are also Prem (love) in essence, so are all Jivas [souls].

But there is one difference. Somewhere it is a drop,

elsewhere, a wave.


At one place, it is ocean of Prem (Love) and at

another, it is the source and fountain head of Prem

(love).


At one place, it is

Ichcha (desire) which is pre-

dominant, and at another, it is

Maya [illusion] which is powerful.


At one place there was little Maya, and that too

was purified because of its association with the

ocean of spirituality.


In the Source, there is no Maya. There, it is all Prem

(love).

-- Sant Radhasoami Sahib (Soami Ji Maharaj of Agra), Sar Bachan Poetry, Book One:http://rsfaith.org/l2ltywdlcy9zdg9yawvzl1jtrlberi9fbmdsaxnol1nhcl9cywnoyw5fug9ldhj5x1bhcnqtms5wzgy=/download






YouTube Video: Rumi - One Whisper of the Beloved:


Prayers

he satyasindhu! aisi kripa karo jisse ki sarv asatya se chhut kar apko hi prapt ho jaun. "O Ocean of Reality! Shower such grace on us that we will be free from all untruth and realize you." (Kabir and Dharamdas/Sandhya Path/Book of Prayer)

he satya! asatya se bachakar sarvada satya ki ohr le javo. "O Ocean of Truth! Save us from the unreal and lead us to the Ultimate Reality." he premmayi! apne kripa kataksh dwara aisi daya karo ki apke satya prem men magn ho jaun."0 Ocean of Love! Through your merciful glance, shower such mercy on us that we will be absorbed in your true love." (Kabir, Sandhya Path/Book of Prayer)


"Awake! O man, 'Regain your Godhead' before it is too late. Most of the time has been frittered away in other pursuits. Make the best use of the time left at your disposal." (Kirpal Singh)


Anurag Sagar of Sant Dharamdas: "Be absorbed in the Shabda of the Satguru and act according to the Master's orders: Keep the attention in Naam, giving up all doership, illusions and dictates of the mind."


Who You Are


"Only he who has full command over his mind can be happy and content. All others, from kings to beggars, who lack control over the mind, are discontented." (Swami Ashutosh Gurusnehi)


"Cleanse the chamber of your heart, so that the Beloved may enter,
Remove all the foreign impressions, so that He can take His seat there." (Param Sant Tulsi Sahib)


"Knowing ourselves and being willing to stand for who we are makes life authentic." (June Singer, A Gnostic Book of Hours)


"At whose behest does the mind think? Who bids the body live? Who makes the tongue speak? Who is that effulgent Being that directs the eye to form and color and the ear to sound?

"The Self is ear of the ear, mind of the mind, speech of the speech. He is also breath of the breath, and eye of the eye. Having given up the false identification of the Self with the senses and the mind, and knowing the Self to be Brahman [God], the wise, on departing the world, become immortal." (Upanishads)


"Him the eye does not see, nor the tongue express, nor the mind grasp. Him we neither know nor are able to teach. Different is he from the known, and different is he from the unknown. So have we heard from the wise." (Upanishads)


"The soul has three coverings: the material, the astral, and the causal. The soul employs these bodies in their respective regions, but its True Home is in the fourth realm, which is beyond these three." (Encyclopaedia of Saints of India, Volume 19: Radhasoami)


"We are conscious entities, we are all attention [surat]; if we control our attention, then we can know the Overself [God]." (Kirpal Singh, The Coming Spiritual Revolution)


Being Open To Learning New Things From A Living Preceptor


"Wisdom is the superpower. It sees to it that we are not seduced into stupid activities. It provides us with an outlook from which to observe compulsive thoughts rather than being drawn into them. It protects us from selfish desires to exploit others or to escape from our responsibilities. This meditative mind maintains a vision for the future -- a vision that can actualize our life-energy into becoming everything it can be." (Ajahn Sumano Bikkhu)


"Without the Saints ... we are tossed about endlessly. Without the merciful, compassionate Master, aeon after aeon we rove." (Param Sant Tulsi Sahib)


"This mysterious path is described in the holy books, but it cannot be found simply by the study of sacred texts. It is found by the grace and guidance of an accomplished teacher." (Swami Sant Sevi Ji)


"The one who has purity of character, who practices diligently the Yoga of Sound, and who can explain clearly Sant Mat (the complete Path of the Masters with nothing missing), can be accepted and trusted as Satguru/Teacher." (Maharshi Mehi)


"Consider for a moment the nature of knowledge you wish to learn. After high school, the student thinks about his direction and chooses a field of study: liberal arts, commerce, or science. If, for example, the student wants to learn liberal arts but goes to a professor of science instead, will this teacher have much to offer? The student must choose a professor proficient in the knowledge he wishes to learn. In the same manner, if you want to learn spiritual knowledge, then 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 (Spirit and matter, bondage and Liberation), and who practices a spiritual path. Such a teacher should have attained direct experience of Truth through spiritual disciplines. This is teacher you should take instruction from. The grace of teacher is also necessary for success in the spiritual pursuit. When you learn the methods for inner meditation, you should practice diligently. Moral rectitude is also very essential in this pursuit.

"This is the seventh limb of yoga, dhyana (meditation; absorption). When one has become accomplished in dhyana then one attains Samadhi (union)."

-- Swami Sant Sevi Ji Maharaj, Harmony of All Religions


"In this material world there are lots of snares and obstacles to keep the soul bound within this physical world. But when the soul goes to the astral plane there are so many temptations and allurements in its way that its fall is almost unavoidable. The allurements in the causal region are correspondingly greater and more subtle than those in the lower regions. Beyond these three planes lie the pure spiritual regions. It is impossible to enter them much less to traverse them without a Master. To traverse this Path is like walking on the razor's edge. There are dangers involved at every step. Thus, the seeker who wishes to unravel the Mysteries of the Ultimate, who wishes to attain True Knowledge and to get united with the Lord will need to seek a perfect Master who is fully acquainted with the Path." (Encyclopaedia of Saints of India, Volume 19: Radhasoami)


"The personal and private instruction in the art of this spiritual practice should be received from a Satguru (an accomplished spiritual Master). Once the technique has been learned, one should practice it regularly and daily according to the instructions given by the Master." (Maharshi Mehi, Philosophy of Liberation)


"When the Surat-disciple meets the Shabd-guru, the path will be traversed." (Param Sant Tulsi Sahib)


Rumi: "When the Master discloses the Mysteries of the human microcosm, your soul and mind will rush in rapture towards the high heavens."


The Basic Ethical Foundation of Sant Mat:http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SantMatFellowship/message/2470


"Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny."
-- The Upanishads


Sant Mat is not a Metaphysical or New Age "Science" but a Bhakti Path - Love and Devotion for the Supreme Being


"In Sant Mat [the Teachings of the Saints], great importance has been attached to Bhakti; it is the sine qua non of Sant Mat. If there are all other attributes but no Bhakti, then there is nothing." (Maharaj Saheb)


"He who carefully considers Reality, and keeps it in his heart, will enjoy eternal bliss, and gain freedom from all sorrows." (Kabir and Dharamdas/Sandhya Path/Book of Prayers)


"All Sants, and Soami Ji Maharaj in particular, have, in their Bani [hymns], laid great stress upon engendering love. The idea is that the task can be accomplished quickly and easily with the help of love. Mere renunciation cannot afford so much advantage, nor can mere comprehension of the Faith confer such a benefit. All activities in the world are going on because of love and desire. If one does not have any feeling of love or he has no interest in a matter, he can do nothing. For the real spiritual welfare of their soul, it therefore behoves all Jivas [souls] to develop true love for the true Supreme Being."

-- Huzur Maharaj

The surat regularly engages in spiritual practices with patience and calm.

Cherishing love and yearning within, she comes to the Guru's Abode.

On hearing Guru's instructions, she feels extremely delighted and daily augments her love for Him.

Understanding the inner secrets from Guru, she applies her Surat to Shabd.

By performing Simran [repeating God's Name], she undergoes internal purification. In Dhyan, she has Darshan [Vision] of Guru's form.

Illumination within goes on increasing day by day and Shabd [inner Sound] creates greater and greater tumult.

She regularly makes spiritual endeavours with patience and calm. She awakens love within her with yearning at heart.

She hears the Ringing of the Bell, the blowing of the Conch, the beating of the Drum, the tuneful music of the Violin and the melodious note of the Flute.

Hearing the Sound of the Bin (Harp), she gets intoxicated and reaches the Abode of Sat Purush.

Relying upon the grace and mercy of Radhasoami, she proceeds further and repairs to her True Home.

-- Huzur Maharaj, Prem Bani Radhasoami, Volume Two




Simran - Manas Jap - the Bhakti Practice of the Remembrance of God


Kabir says: "Keep on doing your work. Keep on reciting God's name, and you will live pleasantly in the world."


Only the day spent
In repetition of the Lord's Name
Is reckoned fruitful
In the court of the Lord.
He who is absorbed in the Name,
The Lord is always with him
As his companion. (Guru Kabir)


Kabir: Recite God's Name!
Realize the Absolute!
Understand His indescribable glory!
God's grace showered on you
Will awaken you from the illusory world.


satyanam satyanam soham guru raam, satyanam satyanam soham guru ram -- The Eternal Name is God, and God is the Eternal Guru dwelling in me. (Kabir and Dharamdas/Sandhya Path/Book of Prayers)


Experiencing, Seeing, Hearing, Knowing For One's Self


"You can't read your way to enlightenment." (Stephan Hoeller)


Knowledge is like a child of all books. Love is the mother of all books, for God is Love and the soul, being of the same essence as the Lord, is also Love. (Kirpal Singh)


"Whatever little is possible, do meditation everyday. But never ever give up or discontinue meditation. You will definitely meet with success." (Swami Sant Sevi Ji Maharaj)


sukh pawai guru dhyan te, thir bhaya man mor; nirkho apa saban men, kewal nand kishor - Meditation on God rewards you with bliss and a tranquil mind. See yourself in all beings, and in all beings see only God. (Kabir and Dharamdas/Sandhya Path/Book of Prayers)


prem jagawai viraha ko, viraha jagawai piv; piv jagawai jiv ko, vahi jiv vahi piv. Love bestirs the heart of the separated lover for God, and God responds by enlightening him. He then realizes that the soul and God are one. (Kabir and Dharamdas/Sandhya Path/Book of Prayers)


Close Your Eyes And See


"Shut your eyes and change to and wake another way of seeing, which everyone has but few use." (Plotinus)


Sant Tulsi Sahib: "Behold the Cosmos within, through your astral eye. When that eye is opened, everything stands revealed."


Saint Tulsi Sahib of Hathras, India: "My Master has given to me knowledge of the Self. Time and again my soul ascends to celestial regions. Traversing the regions within, I beheld the Brahmand [Cosmos]."


"When we see darkness with our eyes closed, we are in the realm of death and re-birth [we are unaware of our True Nature]. When we come out of the realm of darkness and enter into the realm of Light, we will at the same time transcend the web of death. It is not possible that we can remain in darkness and be free from the net of birth and death. Having achieved inner Light we can be liberated from the cycle of birth and death." (Swami Sant Sevi Ji)


"If one is whole, one will be filled with Light, but if one is divided, one will be filled with darkness." (Yeshua, Gospel of Thomas)


Cosmic Music That Will Take You Home




satya purush chowthe pad basa, santan ka wahan sada nivasa,
so ghar darsaya guru pure, bin baje tahan achraj ture--
God dwells in the Fourth State (Superconscious), and that is where the liberated Saints always dwell through meditation. The Perfect Guru has shown that Abode where, without musical instruments, the miraculous Divine Music (Anahad Nad) plays. (Kabir and Dharamdas/Sandhya Path/Book of Prayers)


"When one begins to hear Shabd, one's mind is brought under control. By no other means will it come round." (Sar Bachan Poetry of Soami Ji Maharaj)


Pierce through the six chakras, and ascend

upwards;

Listen to the Melody Divine arising there.

Through the Melody, the turbulent mind is

quelled;

Realize that only thus is thy practice made

fruitful.

-- Sant Namdev (from the Shri Namdev Gatha)


"So, physics are nothing but the laws of harmonies on a string. Chemistry is nothing but the melodies you can play on vibrating strings. And the mind of God, the mind of God that Einstein worked on for the last 30 years of his life, the mind of God would be cosmic music. Cosmic music resonating through 11 dimensional hyperspace." - Michio Kaku


"There is not a cubic millimeter of space in existence which is not filled with this Music. Sweeter and sweeter its heavenly strains vibrate through every living being, great or small, from world to world, and from universe to universe. Its life-giving melodies may not be consciously heard by those who are not trained to catch them, but there is not one living being in all creation which does not derive its life from this Current." (Julian P. Johnson)


"It is the highest duty of every individual to acquire experiential Knowledge of this Shabd, and to investigate or explore the Origin or Source from where this Shabd flows out". (Baba Devi Sahab)


"Communion of the spirit with Shabd or Sound consists in (1) listening to the Shabd, (2) being drawn up into the Shabd Current and (3) visiting the higher region from where that particular Shabd comes. These are the three phases of one and the same phenomenon. If one listens to the real Shabd, one is necessarily drawn up into the Shabd Current and towards the higher region from where the Shabd comes." (Maharaj Saheb)


Anurag Sagar of Sant Dharamdas: "As long as the soul remains in the body, practice the Path of Shabda [meditation on the Sound Current]."


"You should listen attentively to the reverberating Divine Sound. The celestial Sound is coming to take you back to the Source." (Swami Sant Sevi Ji Maharaj)


age Alakh Purush darbara, dekha jaye surat se nyara,
tis par Agam Lok ek nyara, sant surati koi karat vichara --
As you advance, there is the Invisible God's royal court that can be seen in unique meditation. There is the unfathomable and marvelous Abode that Saints in meditation can contemplate. (Kabir and Dharamdas/Sandhya Path/Book of Prayers)


"Ascending beyond or transcending myriads of sounds, try to identify and tune in to the Quintessential Unstruck Melody, called "Saar Shabd" or "Anaahat Naad" which alone is capable of taking you and merging you into oneness with the Supreme Lord; this is the ultimate deliverance, emancipation or liberation." (Couplet of Swami Sant Sevi Ji)


God - Anadi Anami Purush, is Beyond Light and Sound


"The Yoga of Sound must be practiced in order to attain the Nameless State (God, Anami, Anadi Purush)." (Maharshi Mehi, Philosophy of Liberation)


tahan se darse atal atiri, adbhut Satguru mahal sawara, surat hui Sat karman gami, Purush Anami jai samani -- From there you will see the Immovable Palace, where the immortal Satguru dwells. When your karmas and meditation harmonize, then you will merge with the Nameless God. (Kabir and Dharamdas/Sandhya Path/Book of Prayers)


Youtube Video: In the Beginning Was the Sound - Creative Kabir Animation in Nepali:


In the News - 70 Jordan Cave Books Found

I'm hoping this discovery turns out to be more Ebionite writings, such as the Gospel of the Hebrews, or other vegetarian gospels of the early Jesus Movement affiliated not with Paul, but with James the Just of Jerursalem, who was a vegetarian and primary spiritual successor of Yeshua:http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1371290/70-metal-books-Jordan-cave-change-view-Biblical-history.html?ito=feeds-newsxml





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