Prayer of Thanksgiving

[Meditation Sangat]:
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Ancient Vegetarian Meal Mentioned in
the Nag Hammadi Library and in the Corpus Hermeticum

The Manichaeans, the largest Gnostic movement in history, almost
became one of the world's major religions and they were vegetarian,
as were many Hermetic, Jewish, and Gnostic Christian groups 2,000
years ago. There are Hebrew Gospels which present Jesus and John the
Baptist as vegetarians, rather than eating Passover lamb and fish
(Jesus) and bugs (John's famous "locusts"). The Jewish Christians
read vegetarian gospels reflecting their values, even as the gospels
of Paul's version of Christianity reflected the values of that group
(including meat-eating).

A really good book on this is, "THE GOSPEL OF JESUS - IN SEARCH OF
HIS ORIGINAL TEACHINGS," John Davidson, Clear Press. His other
book, "THE ROBE OF GLORY," same publisher, is a good one on
the 'Hymn of the Pearl' found in the Acts of Thomas. He's one of the
best authors on the teachings and spirituality of early groups:
Essenes, the Jesus Movement (Aramaic-speaking), Hermetic philosophy,
Mandaean and Manichaean Gnosis. Those books by Davidson are
currently out of print but can be borrowed through inter-library
loan via any city or college library.

The following comes from an ancient Egyptian scripture called, "The
Prayer of Thanksgiving," one of 50 books unearthed near the village
of Nag Hammadi in upper Egypt. Since the same prayer is also found
in the Corpus Hermeticum, another Egyptian scripture, I've decided
it's useful to include three other Hermetic translations of the last
sentence, which further describes the vegetarian nature of the meal.

Peace,

James

The Prayer of Thanksgiving

Translated by James Brashler,
Peter A. Dirkse and Douglas M. Parrott

This the prayer that they spoke:

"We give thanks to You!
Every soul and heart is lifted up to You,
undisturbed name, honored with the name 'God'
and praised with the name 'Father',
for to everyone and everything (comes) the fatherly kindness
and affection and love,
and any teaching there may be that is sweet and plain,
giving us mind, speech, (and) knowledge:
mind, so that we may understand You,
speech, so that we may expound You,
knowledge, so that we may know You.
We rejoice, having been illuminated by Your knowledge.
We rejoice because You have shown us Yourself.
We rejoice because while we are in (the) body,
You have made us divine through Your knowledge.

"The thanksgiving of the man who attains to You is one thing:
that we know You.
We have known You, intellectual Light.
Life of life, we have known You.
Womb of every creature, we have known You.
Womb pregnant with the nature of the Father,
we have known You.
Eternal permanence of the begetting Father,
thus have we worshiped Your goodness.

There is one petition that we ask:
we would be preserved in knowledge.
And there is one protection that we desire:
that we not stumble in this kind of life."

When they had said these things in the prayer, they embraced each
other and they went to eat their holy food, which has no blood in
it.*

* A vegetarian meal. This passage is also found in the Epilogue of
Asclepius, in "HERMETICA," translated by Sir Walter Scott:

"Having prayed thus, let us betake ourselves to a meal unpolluted by
flesh [animalia] of living things."

The G.R.S. Mead translation of the same passage says:
"With this desire we now betake us to our pure and fleshless meal."

"With such hopes we turn to a pure meal that includes no living
thing." (Asclepius, translated in "Hermetica", Brian Copenhaver,
Cambridge University Press)

James... THANK YOU for posting this, as I'm interested in all things Gnostic.

   I've always believed that Jesus was a vegetarian. Perhaps not as a child
because of his cultural upbringing. But certainly as an adult, because not being
a vegetarian would conflict with his teachings.

   Have a wonderful Thanksgiving,
   Franc

"santmat_mystic ( James )" <santmat_mystic@...> wrote:
   Prayer of Thanksgiving

[Meditation Sangat]:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MeditationSangat

Ancient Vegetarian Meal Mentioned in
the Nag Hammadi Library and in the Corpus Hermeticum

Latch On to the Inner Sound, and Finally Merge in the Soundless God

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http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MeditationSangat

We have to withdraw from the world of external sound -- talking,
singing, playing of music, etc... -- and latch on to the Inner Sound
or Shabd, and finally merge in the Soundless. The very cause of
creation is this Shabd.

Creation and destruction are
wrought by Shabd,
And after dissolution, through
Shabd alone the universes
reemerge.  (Kabir)

Contact with this Shabd is provided by the Gurudev; the radiant
Master, when you turn inward. As long as your mind remains agitated
by involvement in the world, and your sense-organs keep throwing out
their tentacles, you cannot contact Shabd, though it is present in
the inmost heart of all.

As long as the mind is heaving
in the tempest of ego and
pride,
It cannot taste Shabd nor have
love for Naam. (Kabir)

When the mind is in commotion, and wave after wave of lust, wrath,
greed, and pride are rising, the mind keeps dashing against the
rocks of the world. It cannot find joy in Shabd until it learns to
withdraw from the world, concentrate itself and go within. It
must rise above the body and become as subtle as the unseeable and
boundless Lord before it can establish contact with God and receive
the joy of God. Without experiencing this ecstasy we cannot learn to
love God. We may develop a fondness for God or feel an inclination
to know God, but we do not cherish real love. We progress towards
God by stages. We experience Shabd, drink of its bliss, develop
love, and finally acquire complete faith and trust in God.

Naam or Shabd is inconceivable and beyond description, but its
expression -- all this vast creation -- can be felt and described.
Guru Nanak Sahib says that "the eyes with which you see the loved
One are not the eyes of the flesh." Similarly; Krishna declared that
he could not be seen with the bodily eyes, but only with the
concealed third eye which he bestows. You become indifferent to
carnal pleasures when you see and hear the inner Shabd; its joyous
attraction turns your mind away from the world. Socrates said that
he heard a voice which transported him away from this world into a
different and strange land.

You can develop firm faith in Shabd only when an enlightened soul
makes you experience it directly: Even if you live in his company
and have love for him, it is not enough. You may feel at peace as
long as you stay with him, but as soon as you leave him you are
beset with doubts. If you live near a river you enjoy the coolness
of its waters, but when you leave its banks you are in the grip of
heat again. The saint must offer you a firsthand experience of Shabd
so that you have permanent peace. Yes, if the stream of cool water
flows within you, your mind is soothed forever.

-- Sant Kirpal Singh, "The Process of Knowing God"

Kabir's Bhakti Path, a Communion of Love

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"Kabir has conceived of God, Raam, as one eminently attracting
humanity to a Communion of Love, and of man's putting his earthly
life to its best use in responding to this. The resulting Communion
of Love finds the devotee as totally absorbed into God as is humanly
conceivable." (Chapter Seven, "Kabir's Bhakti", in, "The
Encyclopedia of Saints of India, Volume Two: KABIR," Criterion
Publications, New Delhi, India)

The Wisdom of Kabir: Kabir 1008 Vani -- Nectar of Truth and
Knowledge -- Essence of the Collection of Saakhis (The Kabir Saakhi
Granth) in Simple Language and Style

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Prayers of Guru Kabir

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

'0 the Eternal Raam of the temple of my heart! I lost 'my' existence
in remembering You continuously. I have become one with You. I exist
not without You now. My mind does not wander about any more. I and
You are one now.' Raam.

-- Guru Kabir, from, "Kabir 1008 Vani",
compiled by Lalchand Doohan Jigyasu,
translated by Kunwar Anil Kumar,
Manoj Publications, Delhi, India.

[Meditation Sangat]:
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Some verses from the "Peace Lagoon" translation of the Sikh
scriptures (Adi Granth, Guru Granth Sahib) adapted for the
Mender of Hearts album: "The Crimson Collection, Volume 5, " Singh
Kaur and Kim Robertson, Invincible Productions: INV 309.

Waahay Guroo Waahay Guroo
Waahay Guroo Waahay Jeeo

You are the mender, the mender of of hearts.
You are the sustainer of all.
You are the mender of the wounds of life.
You are the sustainer of all.
In your heart You care for everyone.
Within all hearts, in everyone.
In Your heart You care for everyone.
Within all hearts, within all hearts You're there.
O my mind, meditate forever on the Holy One.

You are the mender of the wounds of life.
You are the sustainer of all.
So remember Him who alone will carry you,
Who alone will carry you to your destination.
Meditate forever on the One.
O my mind, meditate forever on the One.

The Principles of Sant Mat -- Also: New Radio Shows Online

[Meditation Sangat]:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MeditationSangat
{"This world is illusion. Death and birth
are inevitable. Meditate!" -- Last Words of Baba Devi Sahab

Comparative Religion from a Sant Mat Perspective -- Sant Mat Audio --

New Radio Shows Online

Spiritual Awakening Radio, Program 631: The Harmony of All Religions
(new Sant Mat book), Part Three: The Sikh Religion of India.
*****Online Streaming Audio -- Click to Listen to Program 631:
http://www.tinyurl.com/de3rz
(30 minutes)

Spiritual Awakening Radio, Program 632: The Harmony of All Religions
(new Sant Mat book), Part Four: Jainism.
*****Online Streaming Audio -- Click to Listen to Program 632:
http://www.tinyurl.com/dsn92
(30 minutes)


The Principles of Sant Mat

1. Ultimate Reality is beyond any beginning or end, infinite, beyond
birth, beyond the senses, all-pervading yet beyond pervasiveness. It
must therefore be understood as the Supreme Being. This Essential
Element is known as the Lord of All and is the foundation of all
things. This Being is beyond both the inanimate and animate aspects
of nature. It is without qualities and beyond qualities. Its nature
is infinite, imperishable, all-powerful. It is beyond time and
space, beyond sound and beyond form. It is the One without a second.
The Supreme Being is beyond the scope of mind, the intellect and the
senses. This entire universe is powered by the energy of this Being.
This Being is not human. It is not manifested in physical form. It
has existence beyond the illusion of maya, and there is nothing that
exists outside of it. It is the Being which is eternal, existing
from the beginning. Santmat considers this Being as the Divine
Reality and this [knowing or merging with] Being is the goal of all
spirituality.

2. The individual soul is an inseparable part of the Supreme Being.

3. The physical world of nature was created. It has an origin and an
end.

4. The soul bound by illusion (maya) remains in the cycle of death
and birth. This is the cause of all suffering. In order to escape
from this cycle of death and birth we must experience realization of
this Supreme Being.

5. By practicing devotion through these four techniques: Manas Japa
(recitation of the divine name [Simran]), Manas Dhyana (focus on the
divine form [Dhyan]), Dristi Sadhana (focus on the infinitesimal
point [Third Eye Center -- contemplating the inner Light]), and Nada-
nu-sandhana Yoga (concentration on the inner divine sounds [Surat
Shabda Yoga] -- the practitioner consecutively transcends the realms
of darkness, light, and sound which cloak the Truth -- the Divine.
Only through a human body is a person able to achieve unity with the
Divine.

6. Lying, stealing, intake of intoxicating substances, adultery, and
violence (including harming other beings) are the five sins to be
avoided. Eating meat or fish is also considered to be a form of
violence and should be avoided. The aspirants of Santmat must
abstain from these vices.

7. Consider the following as the requirements to attain liberation:

Trust and belief in the Divine;

commitment to seek the Divine within;

devotion to a spiritual master;

listening to the teaching of the spiritual discourse including study
of the teaching of the saints and the scriptures;

and diligent meditation practice.

-- Sant Sevi Ji Maharaj, "The Harmony of All Religions"

The ego seeks to create god after it's own image

[Meditation Sangat]:
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{"This world is illusion. Death and birth are inevitable.
Meditate!" -- Last Words of Baba Devi Sahab

The Kal is a metaphor for the universal mind or,
one might say, collective ego of the cosmos.
The ego seeks to create god after it's own image and
likeness instead of letting go and re-identifying with one's true
identity: soul.

Guru Nanak says:

"Without finding a true teacher one cannot attain liberation."

Tulsi Das Sahab said:

"Without the blessings of an accomplished murshid (Guru)
it is impossible to see beyond this world; and
the path to our destination is unreachable."
__________________________________________________________________

"People are generally occupied with the material worldly life,
neglecting the spiritual part of their own being."

"Unless grounded deeply in spirituality, human beings have a habit of
lapsing into old patterns of behavior. This is why the Bijak
stresses the unity of all, and to be motivated by love, and
acceptance of God as the uniting source of our being."

"If religion dabbles in all kinds of paraphernalia, and keeps
people busily occupied with all the various types of external
observances, then it robs them of the Loving and Unifying Principle
or Power that is God. If people are grounded in this knowledge then
there definitely will be world peace."
__________________________________________________________________

World Peace and the Teachings of Kabir

By Dr. J. Das,

"Kabir Voice" newsletter

World peace is possible only when there is peace in the hearts of
people. Peace in the hearts of people is possible only when there is
peace in the heart of every person. Peace in the heart of every
person is possible only when everyone sees the unity of humanity.
The unity of humanity is realized when there is universal love for
all. Universal love for all is possible only when everyone gets rid
of ego-based motivations and behavior spurred on by anger, greed,
hate and possessiveness. These are not easy goals for people to
attain, but not impossible. They are possible by understanding the
relationship between all of us, all of nature, and God. It is
possible by removing the obstacles created by religions, castes,
creeds, social status, power and control, passion and lack of empathy
for others. The Bijak of Guru Kabir teaches the fundamental
principle by which peace in the world can be achieved.

Guru Kabir states in Ramaini 37: "The Bijak reveals that
treasure which is hidden; it teaches such wisdom which hardly anyone
considers". People are generally occupied with the material
worldly life, neglecting the spiritual part of their own being. If
they consider the spiritual beings that they are, then they will be
motivated by love and understanding which will result in world
peace. All of us say that we are children of God, and that God is
our Father. But we quickly forget this when we are engaged in our
material pursuits. God is the abode of love, and we must seek to
realize God in our own life, and see that God manifests in the life
of all beings. In Ramaini 1, the Bijak states: "You and I have
one blood, and one life force manifests in all of us; we are all
produced from one mother (Nature). By what type of knowledge have we
separated ourselves". We are all human beings and are made up of
the same elements. One Nature supports all of us. The same life
force animates all of us. Why then should we look at one another
ignorantly seeing only differences, and not the unity that manifests
in all of us? Without this fundamental understanding of unity there
cannot be peace in the world. Any peace that may be contrived
through political, social or religious agencies, even if motivated by
high ideals, may eventually fail as long as people perceive
differences among one another, in terms of race, religions, economic
and other personal and social factors. Unless grounded deeply in
spirituality, human beings have a habit of lapsing into old patterns
of behavior. This is why the Bijak stresses the unity of all, and to
be motivated by love, and acceptance of God as the uniting source of
our being.

Bijak ramani 22 states: "God dwells in the temple of love. Do
not rush into it. If you wish to enter it, first give up your head
(ego)". The Bijak teaches that ego is a great obstacle towards
peace. Ego may be personal, racial, religious, group or political,
according to one's perception and perceived needs. Personal ego
drives wedges between people and robs us of brotherhood. A
politically driven ego will try to impose its will and ideology on
others. Combined with greed, it becomes a powerful force in causing
disturbance to peace. Just think of all the dictators and conquerors
throughout history who have brought war on other peoples and
countries. Alexander the Great conquered many countries, as did
Napoleon. Hitler caused the Second World War.

People of different religions fight based on their own ideology. In
Ramani 97, the Bijak states: "Search in your own heart and there
you will find both Karim and Ram". Karim is a name of Allah in
Islam, and Ram is a name of God in Hinduism. We all say that God is
one, but in practice we fail to display it. Hindus and Muslims have
struggled against one another in India, hence this reference to
searching in the heart. In Ireland, Protestants and Catholics are
fighting. In the Middle East Jews and Muslims (Palestinians), are
fighting. In Iraq the Sunni and Shia Muslims were fighting. If all
these religious people could only see that God is the same for all,
and that the Spirit that dwells in their own hearts is the same
Spirit of God, then they will be motivated by love, in spite of race,
color, geography, religion or political ideologies.

Guru Kabir attempted to awaken the people from their spiritual
lethargy. To realize God means to realize God dwelling in oneself as
the Eternal Soul. We cannot realize God as an "entity"
existing somewhere in space or "heaven" when we at the same
time admit that He is Omnipresent. Guru Kabir emphasized that God is
present in every heart just as fire is present in the flint stones.
Shabd 80 states: "O devotee! Realize your own Self". The Self
is said to be the Real Self or the Eternal Self, or the Soul.
Realizing the Self means to realize God, and this supercedes all
religions, doctrines, dogmas, rituals and creeds.

The Bijak teaches to remove hypocrisy and empty ritualism from
religion. Religion really is the science of uniting the Soul with
God. If religion dabbles in all kinds of paraphernalia, and keeps
people busily occupied with all the various types of external
observances, then it robs them of the Loving and Unifying Principle
or Power that is God. If people are grounded in this knowledge then
there definitely will be world peace. Without it we will all be going
around in circles. (Dr. J. Das,"Kabir Voice" newsletter)

The lover is converted into the Beloved.
That indeed
is called true love.
Forgetting his own ego, he remains
absorbed in the One.  (Sant Dadu)

The One Light is all-pervading; only a few know this.
Serving the True Guru, this is revealed.
In the hidden and in the obvious, He is pervading all places.
Our light merges into the Light.

The world is burning in the fire of desire,
in greed, arrogance and excessive ego.
People die over and over again;
they are re-born, and lose their honor.
They waste away their lives in vain.

Those who understand the Word of the Guru's Shabad are very rare.
Those who subdue their egotism, come to know the three worlds.
Then, they die, never to die again.
They are intuitively absorbed in the True One.

They do not focus their consciousness on Maya again.
They remain absorbed forever in the Word of the Guru's Shabad.
They praise the True One, who is contained deep within all hearts.
They are blessed and exalted by the Truest of the True.

Praise the True One, who is Ever-present.
Through the Word of the Guru's Shabad, He is pervading everywhere.
By Guru's Grace, we come to behold the True One;
from the True One, peace is obtained.  (Adi Granth)

All are false without God -- Sant Namdev: Repeat the Name of God

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http://groups.yahoo.com/group/santmatfellowship
{"Do not live even a single day without inner
meditation." -- Baba Devi Sahab}
and........to.....
[Meditation Sangat]:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MeditationSangat
{"This world is illusion. Death and birth are inevitable.
Meditate!" -- Last Words of Baba Devi Sahab


"Service.
Worship.
Remembrance.
Meditation.
All are false
      without God.....
Sing the name
      Ram
      the state of nirvana."  (Sant Namdev)

*JPG IMAGE of Sant Namdev:
http://www.geocities.com/santmat_mystic/SantNamdev.jpg

**MP3 AUDIO -- Devotional Banis/Hymns of Sant Namdev Online:

http://tinyurl.com/5ts67

http://www.tinyurl.com/6jp6j

or go to:
http://keertan.waheguroo.com/index.wn?Query=naam+dev&swhat=0


Sant Namdev and Translations of His Mystic-poetry in English

Sant Namdev, 1270-1350, is one of my all-time favorite poet-mystics
of the Sant tradition. Some of his verses are included in the Adi
Granth (Guru Granth of the Sikhs). There is a collection known as
the Shri Namdev Gathas, and, what's quoted below is from the
Padavali of Namdev.

There are four essential books to explore if you're interested in
learning about the Sant Mat of Namdev -- the Teachings of this
Saint: "Sant Namdeva -- The Facts of His Religious Ideology", by
O.P. Ralhan, Anmol Publications, New Delhi; 2) "Saint Namdev", J.R.
Puri and V.K. Sethi, a volume in the Mystics of the East Series,
published by the Beas Radhasoami Satsang; 3) The Sikh Scriptures
online at: http://www.sikhs.org   or other translations of the Sikh
Gurbani;  and, 4) "The Hindi Padavali of Namdev -- A Critical
Edition of Namdev's Hindi Songs with Translation and Annotation"
(Hindi and English), by Winand Callewaert, from Motilal Barnarsidass
Publishers, Delhi, which I've used below.

The sacred simran/mantra name "Ram", used by Namdev as a name for
the Formless Supreme Lord of Love, appears often in the mystic
verses of not only Namdev, but also Kabir, all throughout the Adi
Granth, in the hymns of Ravidas, Dadu, and countless other Sants of
India.

It is the power of love (prem) and devotion (bhakti) that brings the
wandering mind to focus (Pratyahara) and holds one's attention at
the Third Eye center during meditation (dharana during Surat Shabd
Yoga). One is permeated by love repeating God's name or names,
beholding the Light within, and during bhajan (listening to the
inner Sound), also considered an act of worship in traditional Sant
Mat mysticism.

In the Love, Light, and Sound of the Beloved, Naamaste',

James
Sant Mat Fellowship
Meditation Sangat


Words of God-bhakti, Light and Love from the Songs of Namdev

54

God [Hari] is my companion
      in life and death.
Hari, who rescued
      the drowning creature.

Hari, the Giver of joy
      is always with me.
I am immersed in
      the name of Hari
says Namdev.

55

What can you lose
      if you sing
      Ram [God]?
Sing that name
      sleeping or waking.

The glory of that name saved Dhruv
      and Prahlad
      who meditated on the mantra
      Ram.

Sanak and others
      cherished the name
      the name Ram
which grants freedom.

This is my message
      says Namdev
'What you receive
is what you desire'.

56

Sing the name
      Ram
      the state of nirvana.
Your tongue lies idle
      what better can it do?

Service.
Worship.
Remembrance.
Meditation.
All are false
      without God.

Fasts
pilgrimages
      serve worldly goals
they are empty without faith.

These regular fasts
      are worldly efforts
they are like a ladder
      discarded
      when the citadel is scaled.

My heart lies at Your feet
      You are my refuge
      says Namdev.

57

Dwell on Ram
      brother
like the caterpillar
meditating
in the cocoon.

The Lord has all
      shapes.
He is the master of
      everything.
He lives within
all.

A worm or a moth
      whatever moves or is still
Ram is with
      everyone.

Peace -- Shanti

Meditation Sangat:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MeditationSangat
{"This world is illusion. Death and birth are inevitable.
Meditate!" -- Last Words of Baba Devi Sahab

We sometimes yearn for bliss and become restless to attain it. But,
being ignorant of the source of that Bliss, we search for it in the
worldly objects. That eternal peace or Bliss Absolute will be found
only by searching within. (Shri Paramhans Granth)

How sad it is that a human being, in whom the Lord Himself abides,
should lead a miserable life! If he searches for peace and happiness
in the material world, as it is, how can he attain that? Unless one
realises the self within, how can one believe that the Lord resides
there in His refulgent form. Only the realisation of God can bestow
eternal peace of mind and true happiness. (Shri Paramhans Granth)

If one is keen about learning this knowledge, let him join the
spiritual school of the living Satguru and thus enjoy the eternal
peace of mind. (Shri Paramhans Granth)


The desire of an individual to be free from sufferings and to attain
the happiness of absolute peace is naturally present in the hearts
of all. The purpose of Sant Mat [the teachings of the Sants/Saints]
is to provide a system which fulfills the desires of attaining
absolute peace (Shanti*). (Maharishi Mehi Paramahansa Ji Maharaj)

*Note: "Shanti" is a Sanskrit word which can be understood in
English as peace, tranquility, and bliss. It is true peace which
results from some degree of Divine communion. (Veena Howard, a
footnote from the Endnotes of the forthcoming book, The Harmony of
All Religions)

Baba Devi Sahab quotes the Ghat Ramayana [of Param Sant Tulsi Sahab]:

"This (spiritual) path and its destination is divine love.....The
remover of difficulties is the one (spiritual teacher) before you,
who has given you the secret knowledge (spiritual instruction)."

The saints and true teachers are known to be impartial; their
blessings fall like the rain. However, the rain, while falling on
all, tends to collect in deep pools just as the grace of the saints
while showering on all flows rapidly and collects in the deep pools
of the aspirants who are devoted. It is not surprising that the
aspirants through their devotion draw the grace of the master
towards them. Aspirants who give great attention to the ways of the
teacher are worthy of the gift of knowledge. Obviously, not the
careless one, but the one who honors the gift, and cares for the
receiving bowl, receives the gift of the grace of the teacher.
Making oneself worthy is the secret of devotion to the master, the
way of gaining grace as described in the writings of the saints.

The aspiration to serve with love and behave humbly before the
teacher arises naturally in the hearts of students. Therefore,
devotion to the spiritual teacher is also natural. To say anything
against devotion to the teacher is pointless. And also, the wise
will not give devotion to an unworthy teacher and will influence
other aspirants to do the same.

The four essential elements a sadhaka (an aspirant of the spiritual
path) needs are the following:

one, satsang (association of saints and hearing of things
spiritual);

two, sadacara (moral rectitude);

three, guru seva (dedication to the teacher); and

four, dhyan-abhyasa (practice of meditation).....

In Sant Mat an intense eagerness to acquire these essentials must be
present. However, devotion to the teacher (guru**) is paramount to
the other three essentials and is the key to achieving the other
three.

-- Maharishi Mehi Paramahansa Ji Maharaj,
    "The Philosophy of Liberation"

**Note: The word "Guru" literally means dispeller of darkness.


Seek the true Master with faith, love, and patience.

He will give the Light to find the hidden entrance.

If with constant effort you attune the Inner Ear,

The way to God opens and the Path will be clear.

-- Param Sant Tulsi Sahab


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. (Peter Fripp, "The Mystic Philosophy of Sant Mat")


Sing the songs of Praise of the Lord. Chanting the Naam, the Name of
the Lord, total peace is obtained; coming and going is ended, my
friend. || 1 || Pause || Singing the Glorious Praises of the Lord,
one is enlightened, and comes to dwell in His lotus feet. || 1 || In
the Society of the Saints, one is saved. O Nanak, he crosses over
the terrifying world-ocean. || 2 || 1 || 57 || RAAMKALEE, FIFTH
MEHL: My Guru is perfect, my Guru is perfect. Chanting the Lord's
Name, I am always at peace; all my illness and fraud is dispelled.
|| 1 || Pause || Worship and adore that One Lord alone. In His
Sanctuary, eternal peace is obtained. || 1 || One who feels hunger
for the Naam sleeps in peace. Meditating in remembrance on the Lord,
all pains are dispelled. Enjoy celestial bliss, O my Siblings of
Destiny. The Perfect Guru has eradicated all anxiety. || 3 || Twenty-
four hours a day, chant God's Chant. O Nanak, He Himself shall save
you. || 4 || 2 || 58 || (Adi Granth, Page 901)

Thanks, this is lovely and uplifting, Susan

"santmat_mystic ( James )" <santmat_mystic@...> wrote:

Peace -- Shanti

Meditation Sangat:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MeditationSangat
{"This world is illusion. Death and birth are inevitable.
Meditate!" -- Last Words of Baba Devi Sahab

Shabd Yoga Meditation Practice: Pratyahara (Bringing Back to
Attention or Surat) and Dharana (Deep Focus)

Sant Mat Fellowship:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SantMatFellowship
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/santmatfellowship
Meditation Sangat:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MeditationSangat
{"This world is illusion. Death and birth are inevitable.
Meditate!" -- Last Words of Baba Devi Sahab

Shabd Yoga Meditation Practice: Pratyahara (Bringing Back to
Attention or Surat) and Dharana (A Period of Deep Focus)

By Sant Sevi Ji Maharaj,
Maharishi Mehi Ashram,
Bihar, India

The Practice of Prat-ya-hara During Meditation

Prat-ya-hara is the restraining of the mind (withdrawal of the
senses). Pratyahara is followed by dha-rana -- deep focus for short
periods of time, which is followed by dhyâna -- complete absorption.
When we try to concentrate our mind in meditation and worship, we
find it is hard to bring the mind to focus -- the mind wanders away.
We sit for worship or we sit for meditation, but let us ask the mind
how long the mind stayed concentrated in that task? How long did the
mind stay on the object of the meditation? The mind moves and
wanders around and no one even begins to count how many directions
it may have gone -- the unstable mind runs hither and thither. We
lock our body up in a small meditation room but are we able to lock
up our mind also? The mind roams from one place to another, from on
country to country -- who really can even remember where has it
wandered off.

Sant Paltu says,

"Our mind is so swift that no other vehicle can compare to its
speed: We cannot restrain the mind: it is ever strong and active. It
is like a mighty combatant; its nature is mischievous. Says Paltu,
it is capable of traveling thousands of miles in the blink of an
eye."

In today's scientific world no matter how many fast planes have been
invented they are nevertheless slower than the speed of the mind.
This swift mind is stubborn and difficult to control.

As Sant Kabir says,

"Dear practitioners! the mind is very mischievous and whoever has to
deal with this mind knows its obstinate nature."

We consider ourselves well and sound. But when we sit for meditation
and when the fire of meditation touches us then we see the blemishes
surfacing in the mind. Sant Kabir says that whosoever has tried to
control this mind knows the daunting task of controlling the
mind.....

During meditation do not be defeated in the exercise of pratyahara
(literally "bringing back"). What is the other meaning of
pratyahara? Prati (every) plus ahara (consume) are the two
components of the word: "consume everything." Whatever thought
arises consume that thought. If you don't consume that thought, you
will be consumed by it. [Consuming or actively controlling the
rising tide of thought]. During meditation the mind creates air
castles beyond description. While sitting in one place the mind
wanders everywhere and we cannot even keep track of its ever
swirling nature. Therefore, the Sants instruct that first we must
practice pratyahara. As we sit down for eating and consume the food
in the same way we should consume the thoughts as they arise. We
should consume them that same moment. Whatever images and fanciful
ideas infest the mind during meditation, Sants insist, consume them
without any delay or hesitation.

If you are unable to practice constant vigilance of mind then when
you sit down for doing simran or japa (recitation of a holy name)
your mind will be involved in unnecessary gossip, solving problems,
creating imaginary castles, and long term planning. In this manner
time will pass while meditating with the mind wandering and
unfocused. Therefore, do not be defeated in this practice of
pratyahara. If you give up in pratyahara you will not succeed in
subduing the mind.

New Book: The Bijak of Guru Kabir, Volume 2, Shabdas

Meditation Sangat:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MeditationSangat
{"This world is illusion. Death and birth are inevitable.
Meditate!" -- Last Words of Baba Devi Sahab
KABIR:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/KABIR

Know Thyself

"When you know yourselves, then you will be known, and you will
realize that it is you who are the sons of the living Father. But if
you do not know yourselves, then you will be in a state of poverty,
and it is you you will be the poverty."n (Yeshua, Gospel of Thomas)


[NEW BOOK] "The Bijak of Guru Kabir, Volume 2, Shabdas -- The
Mystical Teachings of Guru Kabir", By Dr. Jagessar Das, published by
the Kabir Association of Canada, #208 - 14770 64th Avenue, Surrey,
B.C. Canada, V3S 1X7
Website:
http://www.members.shaw.ca/kabirweb

Kabir:

0 soul! You have forgotten your Self!

Just as a dog in a house of mirrors is fooled, and barks and barks
at himself and dies;

Just as a lion seeing its own reflection in a well and, thinking it
is another lion, jumps in,

Just so an elephant seeing itself in a shiny slab of stone pierces
it tusk at it.

The monkey because of greed for the tasty morsel, does not loosen
its grip and is made to play tricks from house to house;

Kabir says: "0 Dear Parrot! You're in the trap; who has entrapped
you?"


Commentary:

In this Shabda Guru Kabir is talking about a person who does not
recognize that he is the soul, the seat of consciousness. He thinks
he is the physical body; thus he looks in a mirror and
sees "himself". He does not see the soul. Guru Kabir uses a few
examples of how animals are fooled. The dog in a house of mirrors
sees it own reflection, and thinks it is another dog and keeps on
barking at it and dies without realizing that it was barking at it's
own reflection. Similarly, the lion seeing it's own reflection in
the water thinks it is another lion, and jumps in and looses its
life. Again the elephant seeing it's own image in a shinning stone
such as a slab of marble will try to pierce it with it's tusk. Guru
Kabir says that sometimes we are like the monkey with its hand in a
narrow-necked jar to grab some grain. Because it does not want to
give up the grain it cannot remove it's clenched fist through the
narrow-necked jar, and is thus caught and made to perform tricks
from house to house. Again the parrot thinks itself trapped when
it's holding on to the trap it's own self, being afraid to let go
and fly away to freedom. (See explanation of lalani in Shabda 73)

The message in this shabda is that we must not be deceived by our
outward appearances. We must see that we are a conscious soul and
not merely the physical body. If we consider ourselves to be merely
the body, then we are being fooled just as the various animals
mentioned. But we have a superior intelligence and an inquiring and
logical mind, and are aware of our own consciousness and will. We
need to use these attributes to discover who we really are, and
reach a state of perfection and bliss.

The Kinds of Prayers That God Listens To

Meditation Sangat:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MeditationSangat
{"This world is illusion. Death and birth are inevitable.
Meditate!" -- Last Words of Baba Devi Sahab


What kinds of prayers then does God listen to? And what type of
prayer does He not listen to? Vinoba Bhave (a well know Indian
scholar) explains:

If a train is going from Ranchi to Patna and you are sitting in that
train praying to God to take you to Patna safely, God will listen to
your prayers, and will help you arrive at the Patna railway station.
However, if you are praying to God to take you to Patna while
sitting in a train traveling from Ranchi to Calcutta, God will not
listen to that prayer, and you will reach Calcutta, not Patna. The
lesson: wherever you wish to go, first sit in the appropriate
vehicle which is going to the desired destination, and then pray to
reach that destination safely. In the same way, Allah is
compassionate, and the one who walks on the right path -- the path
which leads from darkness to Light -- will have his prayers
answered.

Remembering God -- from the Saakhi Granth of Guru Kabir

Meditation Sangat:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MeditationSangat
{"This world is illusion. Death and birth are inevitable.
Meditate!" -- Last Words of Baba Devi Sahab
KABIR:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/KABIR

Below is from the book: Kabir 1008 Vani - Nectar of Truth and
Knowledge -- Essence of the Collection of Saakhis (the Saakhi Granth
of Guru Kabir) in Simple Language and Style, Compiled by Lalchand
Doohan Jigyasu, Translated into English by Kunwar Anil Kumar,
ISBN: 81-8133-515-5, Publisher: Manoj Publications. I have a review
of this excellent Kabir Panth book at my website:
http://www.spiritualawakeningradio.com/brkabir1008.html

This publication comes from a Sant lineage affiliated with the
Dharamdasi branch of Kabir Panth headed by Shri Hajoor Uditnam
Saheb. The book also mentions two centers in India: Sadguru Kabir
Praakatya Dham, Lahartara, Varanasi, and, Kabir Mission Mandir,
Vijay Vihar, Rithala,). This same group also uses the Anurag Sagar
of Sant Daram Das and Kabir. They publish it in Hindi. Hopefully,
like the Saakhi Granth, their version of the Anurag Sagar (Ocean of
Love) will eventually be published in English.

Though the book contains teachings about meditation practice, the
Saakhi Granth has a holistic message, also addressing what goes on
in our lives "in between meditations"! All words of Saints (Sant
Satgurus), past and present, provide the satsang template used to
communicate the teachings ("Sant Mat" literally means, "The
Teachings of the Sants"). The Saakhi Granth is often used in
traditional Indian satsangs to provide necessary instruction about
how to live a spiritual life, making this life, more and more with
each passing day, a reflection of the soul, and God.

The following is the introduction to the chapter
titled, "Remembering God". Below that are seven Saakhis of Kabir.

Naamaste',

James
[Meditation Sangat] and,
[Kabir] at Yahoo Groups

Remembering God

For the welfare of one's own, remembering God [Ram] has an
especially important place in practising spiritual life. It is that
mysterious and wonderful process of devotion which cannot be seen or
evaluated by anyone else. But it has a wonderful impact on the life
of a devotee from outside and inside both. The sacred name with
which the devoted seekers and disciples are initiated by a Sadguru,
has an incessant relationship with the act of remembering God. Where
there is love and devotion, God will also be remembered there.
Remembering God has its own role in the combination of servitude,
love and devotion. Remembering God is such pure stream of invisible
holy Saraswati [rain] which, making the lives of devotees pure,
quenches the thirst of their hearts. Sadguru or God may or may not
be before his devotees, may be near or at a distance, his
remembrance ensures his presence in the temples of the hearts of His
devotees by being in their memory. The same memory, in the quietude
of remembering God, on the unknown surface of consciousness, becomes
animate and gets transformed into the form of a Sadguru, and gives
the pleasure to the devotees of seeing Him. There is a great power
in remembering God which brings the 'servant' and his 'master' close
to each other. Expectations and disappointments have no place in the
act of remembering God because true devotees have no desires and
ambitions.

Remembering God is the inner spiritual practice of a devotee. Its
mysterious experience is also very internal. And so, it does not
demand any kind of particular outer garb. If there is no faith,
concentration and wholehearted effort in remembering God, the
outside things like string of beads, a mark made on the forehead or
wearing sacred thread, would become an act of sanctimony only. There
is no binding of time and place in regard to remembering God. The
devotees continue to remember the Sadguru at liberty with love. Life
is precious. No one knows when the chain of breaths may break. And
so, the Sadguru has preached to remember God with each breath. In
this context Kabir Saheb, explaining the importance of remembering
God, has said that this will definitely unfold the knowledge of
devotion.

Saakhi's of Guru Kabir

Naam Ratan Dhan Paaye Ke, Gaantho Baandh Na Khoal.....

After having got the gem of true knowledge from your Sadguru, you
must bear it in your mind and keep it in your memory carefully.
Never exhibit this gem in a place which is devoid of assayers. One
should unravel the mysteries of the true knowledge imparted by a
Sadguru among the true seekers only.

Naam Jo Rattee Ek Hai......

Like, a very small sparkle of fire can burn and incinerate a huge
pile of things, in the same manner, a very little of true knowledge
imparted by a Sadguru can be more than sufficient. The impact of
true knowledge imparted by a Sadguru is greater than the impact of
the consequences of the thousand times more of sinful deeds.
Slightest of true knowledge in one's life can remove the greatest of
defects and vices of a person.

Ram Japat Daridree Bhalaa, Tooty Ghar Kee Chchaan.
Kanchan Mandir Jaari De, Jahaan Na Satguru Gyaan..4..

A poor man, who continuously repeats the name of that Lord
Ram [God, the Formless Lord of All-Love] who exists in everyone, may
be possessing a dilapidated house, but even his dilapidated house is
good. But a temple or palace, which is made of gold, must be set on
fire, in which there is no discourse on the true knowledge imparted
by a Sadguru.

Ram Liyaa Jin gab Liya, gab Saastran Ko Bhed. Binaa Ram Narake Gaye,
Parhi Guni Charon Ved..5..

One, who has realized the eternal and the imperishable Ram, must be
considered to have acquired the knowledge of the mystery of all the
treatises. And one, who could not attain realization of that Lord
Ram, despite having acquired full knowledge of all the four Vedas,
will continue to remain in the life-and-death cycle of this world
which is like hell.

Aadi Naam Paaras Ahai, Man Hai Mailaa Loh. Parasat Hee Kanchan
Bhayaa, Chchoota Bandhan Moh..6..

The true knowledge imparted by the Sadguru can be likened to
Parasmani (the philosopher's stone which is believed to convert a
baser metal into gold by a mere touch) and the sinful mind can be
likened to a piece of iron. The mere touch of the Parasmani of true
knowledge makes the mind pious as a result of which it begins to
shine like pure gold, and becomes free from all kinds of worldly
attachments and delusions, i.e. true knowledge brings an end to
Ignorance.

Koti Naam Sansaar Mein, Taate Mukti Na Hoye.
Aadi Naam Jo Gupta Jap, Biralaa Jaane Koye.. 7..

There are millions and millions of names in this world which people
repeat continuously, but this is not sufficient for attainment of
salvation. The name, which is everlasting, eternal and imperishable
(self-knowledge) and which is worshipped secretly, can be known to
someone who is loved by his Sadguru.

Ram Naam Nij Aoushadhi, Satguru Dayi Bataaye.
Aoushadhi Khaaye Ru Path Rahai, Taakee Bedan Jaaye..8..

A Sadguru is like a physician. He prescribed the name of
Lord Ram (self-realization) as medicine for relief from diseases
like life and death. Only that person can be cured with this
medicine who practises restraint in his life, i.e. one who always
moves on the right path.

Sethian Gnosis, Kabbalah, and Sant Mat

Meditation Sangat:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MeditationSangat
{"This world is illusion. Death and birth are inevitable.
Meditate!" -- Last Words of Baba Devi Sahab

The Sethians were an old Jewish Gnostic sect 2,000 years ago. Some
of their writings were found in Egypt at Nag Hammadi:
http://www.webcom.com/gnosis/naghamm/trimorph.html
http://www.kheper.net/topics/Gnosticism/Sethian.htm

The concept of Five secret Names of God to be used as passwords to
the Beyond, Inner Light and Sound mysticism, etc... goes back to
them. I'm sure there is a historic connection between all these
schools of spirituality: Gnosticism, the Essenes, Kabbalah,
Christian mysticism, Sufism, and further to the East, Sant Mat.
http://members.tripod.com/~andrea65/gnostic4.html

'Kosas' in an interesting word. In Sant Mat 'Kosha' or 'Kosh' is a
term for the five sheaths or coverings (subtle bodies) that the soul
wears. In addition to the physical body, there is the astral body,
causal or akashic body, the mental, and the etheric.  The number 5
seems to often come up, both in Sant Mat and Kabbalah. The subtle
bodies are connected with the five worlds or planes, and in Sant Mat
there are "The Five Names", sacred words used during meditation.
These also are associated with various levels or heavens and are
usually not written down but kept secret until the day of
initiation.

I did a radio program recently featuring a talk by Rabbi Cooper. He
said that Kabbalah teaches that there are different levels of the
soul. In Sant Mat the soul's home is called Sat Lok, meaning 'True
Realm', what the Sufis call 'Haq'. This is the first of four levels
of Sach Khand. Beyond Sat Lok is Alakh Lok (Invisible realm), Agam
Lok (Inconceivable realm), and the Ultimate Reality is described as
Anami Lok (Nameless realm). God is considered nameless, timeless,
formless, soundless, beyond light. In Sat Lok -- the first spiritual
plane, souls remain individual 'drops' or 'sparks' of the divine.
Beyond Sat Lok, souls progressively reach greater degrees of
nearness to God, can merge into God and then return to an
individualised state again. In the top plane, there is only the non-
dual oneness of God, the Ocean of Love.

All of these different "levels" or heavens are layers of illusion.
The goal of the meditation practice is to rise above body and mind,
and enter that timeless realm of pure spirit. There is a river of
Light and Sound, given different names in various world religions:
Tao, Logos, Word, Song of the Creator, Shabad Naam, OM, Saunt-e
Sarmad. That is considered the True Name of God. By focusing on this
Positive Power and becoming one with it, the soul makes this
transition back Home. It's more of a shift in attention than it
is "traveling" as in out of body OOBE's, though it looks and feels
very much like that, going up a tunnel towards brighter and brighter
manifestations of Light. The soul is already in heaven, Truth be
told. It never left. It is in the soul realm and can be no place
else. We Are That. Our true identity is soul. We can discover this
in meditation when we tune out the five senses and start exploring
Inner Space.

I have some websites on Sant Mat. My radio website has a library
section that includes online Sant Mat books:
http://www.spiritualawakeningradio.com
  ***radio library - click the library tab***
and my yahoo group Sant Mat Fellowship has much material scanned in
from various Sant Mat classics:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SantMatFellowship
***sant mat archive***

Have a great day.

James

Associating With Truth -- Satsang -- The Three Levels of Satsang

Sant Mat Fellowship:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SantMatFellowship
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/santmatfellowship
{"Do not live even a single day without inner
meditation." -- Baba Devi Sahab}
Meditation Sangat:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MeditationSangat
{"This world is illusion. Death and birth are inevitable.
Meditate!" -- Last Words of Baba Devi Sahab

The term "Satsang" is used by various Indian paths including Sant
Mat (The Way of the Saints -- Path of the Masters). It means
Association (Sang) with the Eternal Truth or God (Sat). Below is a
spiritual discourse from a Sant Mat perspective on the three
different levels of satsang we can practice in order to be freed
from illusion, be given complete spiritual guidance, and reunite
with the Supreme Lord of Love.

Namaste',

James
Sant Mat Fellowship
Meditation Sangat

Not About Sectarianism and Label-Worship

In different times and different places saints appear and their
followers name their religion according to the sage or saint who
propounded that tradition. The appearance of differences can be
attributed to time, place, and language. This gives rise to various
labels for the common views held by all religions. Likewise, due to
excessively zealous followers, these seeming differences are often
amplified. When all sectarianism and the temporal and linguistic
aspects are removed; the basic principles of all the saints are in
accord the voices of the saints are in harmony. (Sant Maharishi
Mehi, in, "The Philosophy of Liberation")


The Blessings of Satsang

Param Sant Tulsidas Ji says: "Without the association of great
saints, there is neither discourse of the Divine nor the
understanding of the scriptures. Without these two, selfish
attachment does not loosen its grip. And without dispelling
attachment to the world one cannot attain the realm of the Divine
and the true devotion that is essential to realize the Divine."

Guru Kabir Sahib says: "Discord and delusion can be removed by the
power of the association of saints [satsang]. For those who
associate with saints, suffering dissolves and they will remain
immersed in joy. Joy arises from noble company and pain arises from
association with the wicked", says Kabir, "go to a place where
saints dwell and their association is possible."


The Three Levels of Satsang

The word satsang is comprised of two words sat and sang. What is
sat?

Sat is that which can never be destroyed. It is the essential
element which is indestructible and beyond the limitations of time.
And it is Truth. Sang means association or contact. Thus association
or coming in contact with Sat or Truth is satsang.

In the Bhagavad Gita Lord Krishna says:

"Whatever is Truth always exists and is never non-existent. That
which is non-Truth has no existence whatsoever."


* The First Kind of Satsang (Association with the Divine)

What is this element which is indestructible, has always been
constant and will forever remain as such? That element is the
Supreme Being of the universe. Association with this Being, in
reality, is association with Truth (satsang). But, what is it that
would associate with this Supreme Being? Is it the body or the
senses? The answer is that it is neither of these two. It is only
apart from the body and senses that we will be able to associate
with the Supreme Being. This is because it is only our soul that is
an inseparable part of the Divine. It is only we (our soul) that is
capable of merging with the Divine. Our individual soul is truth,
and also, the Supreme is Truth. True satsang is the unity of the
soul with the Supreme Truth. This is the highest kind of sat-sang.
However, this highest kind of satsang, unity with the Divine, does
not occur all of a sudden. This category of satsang requires many
lifetimes of good actions and spiritual imprints (samskaras).


* The Second Kind of Sat-sang (Association with the Saints)

Sant Tulsidas says:

"The association of the saints brings association with the Divine,
and alliance with people who are engrossed in the world leads the
way back to this world again and again."

To attain Ultimate Liberation it is essential to have association
with the saints. Saints, having realized the true form of God,
become that True Form. The accomplished great beings who have
attained unity with the Divine, and who have experienced the Supreme
Being even while living in this body, have become the Supreme Being
[They become one with their true Divine Form]. Association with
these saints is this second category of satsang. However, finding
such a saint is not an easy task. A true saint is rare and difficult
to find.

Sant Tulsidas says:

"Without accumulation of many good deeds one will be unable to gain
the association of a great saint."

When our good karmas permit, we are able to come to experience the
association of these sentient beings. A more important point is that
even if we have a direct encounter with such a saint, we often do
not have the wisdom to be able to recognize a genuine sage.

A great Sant, Tulsidas, says:

"If someone says 'I have recognized a saint,' then I put my hands on
my ears in astonishment. [It is not an easy task.]"

If ordinary people could recognize saints, then why, since
antiquity, have so many great saints, sages, and prophets been
tortured, maimed and killed? Many saints have had to face horrible
atrocities. This simply would not have happened if we were able to
recognize the genuine great saints.


* The Third Kind of Satsang (Association with the Writings of Sages
and Saints)

In daily life we need the guidance of a great sage or saint. Even
though we might encounter many so called mahatmas or sadhus, the
task of finding and identifying an accomplished guide is difficult.
So, in consideration of this, how would satsang (association with a
true saint) be possible? The answer is that we can study the
teachings of the great saints of the past, because in their teaching
we will find the elaboration of the Truth. This then is the third
category of sat-sang. Generally, when we speak of satsang, it is
this third category that is meant. This kind of satsang includes the
study of scriptures and the words and writings of the saints and
prophets of the past.

As we continue diligently in this third type of satsang we
accumulate the meritorious karmas which will lead to the meeting
with a true saint. Then we will be able to do the second category of
satsang. As we continue in association with a great saint, and with
the saint's blessings, we will gradually begin to meditate and
undertake the prescribed spiritual disciplines. By diligently
practicing these disciplines, we will one day, experience the first
category of sat-sang -- the association with the Supreme. When we
have thus accomplished the highest category of satsang, our life's
purpose will be fulfilled.

-- Sant Sevi Ji Maharaj

Let the Sound Take You Away

Meditation Sangat:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MeditationSangat
{"This world is illusion. Death and birth are inevitable.
Meditate!" -- Last Words of Baba Devi Sahab

The path to find God is within your heart. Enter into ajna chakra
(Third Eye Center, Seat of the Soul) and you will find it. It is
found not in a man-made Ka'ba (Muslim pilgrimage place), but in God
made Ka'ba (holy place), which means within your own heart or self.
You should listen attentively to the reverberating divine Sound. The
celestial Sound is coming to take you back to the Source. Listen to
it attentively. Remember you cannot hear this with the physical
ears. When you focus your gaze within ajna chakra then automatically
your physical ears will close and the inner ears will open. By that
power 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.
(Sant Sevi Ji Maharaj)

Peace Prayers in the World Religions

Meditation Sangat:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MeditationSangat
{"This world is illusion. Death and birth are inevitable.
Meditate!" -- Last Words of Baba Devi Sahab

Those who meditate on You, Lord,
those who meditate on You --
those humble beings
dwell in peace in this world. (Guru Ram Das)

Those who remember God dwell in peace.
(Guru Arjan Dev, Sukhmani,
[The word Sukhmani literally means
Peace in your mind])


Hindu Prayer for Peace

Oh God, lead us from the unreal to the real.
Oh God, lead us from darkness to light.
Oh God, lead us from death to immortality.
Shanti, Shanti, Shanti unto all.
O Lord God Almighty may there be peace in Celestial regions.
May there be peace on earth.
May the waters be appeasing.
May herbs be wholesome, and may trees and plants bring peace to all.
May all beneficent beings bring peace to us.
May thy Vedic Law propagate peace all through the world.
May all things be a source of peace to us. And may thy peace itself
bestow peace on all.
And may that peace come to me also.


Gnostic

When the Blessed One had said this, He greeted them all, saying,
Peace be with you. Receive my peace unto yourselves. (Yeshua, Gospel
of Mary Magdalene)

Peace be with you from Peace, love from Love, grace from Grace,
faith from Faith, life from Holy Life! (Apocryphon of James the Just)

Bliss and peace there will be
On the road which Adam attained:
Bliss and peace there shall be
On the road which the soul traverseth.

Go in peace, pure pearl that was transported
From the treasuries of Life;
Go in peace, radiant one, who illumined
Her dark house. Go in peace,
Pure and chosen one, immaculate and spotless!"

Come! receive my prayer and my praise
And lift it up in peace to the Place of Light!

(Canonical Prayerbook of the Mandaeans)


Buddhist Prayer for Peace

May all beings everywhere plagued with sufferings of body and mind
quickly be freed from their illnesses.
May those frightened cease to be afraid and may those bound be free.
May the powerless find power, and may people think of befriending
one another.
May those who find themselves in trackless, fearful wildernesses -
the children, the aged, the unprotected - be guarded by beneficent
celestials,
and may they quickly attain Buddhahood.


Zoroastrian Prayer for Peace

We pray to God to eradicate all the misery in the world:
that understanding triumph over ignorance,
that generosity triumph over indifference,
that trust triumph over contempt,
and that truth triumph over falsehood.


Jainist Prayer for Peace

Peace and Universal Love is the essence of the Gospel preached by
all the
Enlightened Ones.
The Lord has preached that equanimity is the Dharma.
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 cause of all miseries in the world.
Violence in fact, is the knot of bondage.
Do not injure any living being."
This is the eternal, perennial, and unalterable way of spiritual
life.
A weapon, howsoever powerful it may be, can always be superseded by
a superior one;
but no weapon can, however, be superior to non-violence and love.


Jewish Prayer for Peace

Come let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, that we may walk the
paths of the most high.
And we shall beat our swords into ploughshares, and our spears into
pruning hooks.
Nations shall not lift up sword against nation - neither shall they
learn war any more.
And none shall be afraid, for the mouth of the Lord of Hosts has
spoken.


Shinto Prayer for Peace

Although the people living across the ocean surrounding us, I
believe, are all our brothers and sisters, why are there constant
troubles in this world?
Why do winds and waves rise in the ocean surrounding us?
I only earnestly wish that the wind will soon puff away all the
clouds which are hanging over the tops of the mountains.


Native African Prayer for Peace

Almighty God, the Great Thumb we cannot evade to tie any knot: The
Roaring Thunder that splits mighty trees;
the all-seeing Lord up on high who sees even the footprints of an
antelope on a rock mass here on earth.
You are the one who does not hesitate to respond to our call.
You are the cornerstone of peace.


Native American Prayer for Peace

O Great spirit of our Ancestors, I raise my pipe to you;
To your messengers in the four winds, and to Mother Earth who
provides for your children.
Give us the wisdom to teach our children to love, to respect, and to
be kind to each other, so that they may grow with peace in mind.
Let us learn to share all good things that you provide for us on
this Earth.


Muslim Prayer for Peace

In the name of Allah the beneficent, the merciful.
Praise be to the Lord of the Universe, who has created us and made
us into tribes and nations that we may know each other, not that we
may despise each other.
If the enemy inclines towards peace, do thou also incline towards
peace, and trust God, for the Lord is the one that heareth and
knoweth all things.
And the servants of God, most Gracious are those who walk on the
earth in Humility, and when we address them, we say "PEACE."


The Baha'i Prayer for Peace

Be generous in prosperity and thankful in adversity.
Be fair in thy judgment, and guarded in thy speech.
Be a lamp unto those who walk in darkness, and a home to the
stranger.
Be eyes to the blind, and a guiding light unto the feet of the
erring.
Be a breath of life to the body of humankind, a dew upon the soil of
the human heart, and a fruit upon the tree of humility.


Sikh Prayer for Peace

God adjudges us according to our deeds, not the clothes that we
wear;
That truth is above everything, but higher still is truthful living.
Know that we attain God when we love, and only that victory endures
in consequences of which no one is defeated.


Christian Prayer for Peace

Blessed are the Peacemakers for they shall be known as the Children
of God.
But I say to you that hear, love your enemies, do good to those who
hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.
To those who strike you on the cheek offer the other also, and from
those who take away your cloak, do not withhold your coat as well.
Give to everyone who begs from you, and of those who take away your
goods, do not ask them again.
And as you wish that others would to do you, do so to them.


Pagan Peace Prayer For Calm and Comfort

With your soothing fingers, wipe away the lines that worries have
etched on our faces.
Surround us with calm,
let us rest in the glow of peace,
as if we were encircled with the Moons own light.
Let our concerns and tensions drain away from us,
pouring as water into your Earth.


World Peace Prayer

May All Who Work
For a World of Peace and Reason
Be Granted the Gifts Of Strength and Courage,
May the Good That Dwells
Within Every Human Heart Be Magnified,
May the Blessings of Truth
And Understanding Be Ours,
May the Sacrifice of Christ Abide Within All of Us
And as We Create And Plan for Tomorrow
May We Do so in Sympathy
With All Others. Amen

Name, Form, Light, Sound, and the Final Stage: Anadi Purush

Meditation Sangat:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MeditationSangat
{"This world is illusion. Death and birth are inevitable.
Meditate!" -- Last Words of Baba Devi Sahab
Sant Mat Fellowship:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SantMatFellowship
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/santmatfellowship
{"Do not live even a single day without inner
meditation." -- Baba Devi Sahab}

Name, Form, Light, Sound, and the Final Stage: Merging with the
Soundless Formless God (Anadi Purush) in the Ocean of Love


"Come, that I may teach you about secrets no person has ever seen.
For there exists a Great and Boundless Realm,
whose extent no generation of angels has seen,
in which there is a Great Invisible Spirit,
which no eye of an angel has ever seen,
no thought of the heart has ever comprehended,
and it was never called by any name."
(Yeshua, quoted in, The Gospel of Judas, a Second Century
Gnostic Gospel written in Coptic, found in Egypt, and
recently published)


Chart Number One -- Subtle Bodies and Inner Regions:
http://www.geocities.com/santmat_mystic/CHART.jpg

Chart Number Two, PDF File -- Higher Planes/Inner Regions:
http://www.spiritualawakeningradio.com/chart.pdf


The Unexplored Rooms in the "Interior Castle" of the Human Body

Guru Kabir, one of India's greatest spiritual Masters and poet-
mystics, put it this way:


Within this earthen vessel are
bowers and groves, and within
it is the Creator:
Within this vessel are the seven oceans
and the unnumbered stars.......
Kabir says: "Listen to me my friend!
My Beloved Lord is within."


Sant Sevi Ji Maharaj in his new book, The Harmony of All Religions,
recently translated from Hindi into English (soon to be published),
states that the early stages of meditation are a preparation for the
more advanced levels. From the chapter on the Light and Sound
mysticism present within Jainism he writes: "Many of the Saints
discuss the need for mantra japa (simran: the recitation or
repetition of God's Name) and Bindu Dhyan (visualizing a holy form).
These disciplines, the recitation of a holy name and the focus on
holy forms, enable the practitioner to have success with the subtler
forms of meditation." And, from the Introduction to this book: "The
Saints, Prophets, Sages, all Radiant and all Benevolent Beings are
myriad physical manifestations of the Divine Power on earth. Fixing
their image in the mind (Manas Dhyan; focusing on a divine form)
facilitates concentration of the mind and prepares it to enter into
the inner subtle realms."

Where We Came From -- Where We Are Going

Sant Sevi Ji: "The individual soul has descended from the higher
worlds [realm 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 current of consciousness which is dispersed in the nine gates
of the body and the nine senses must be collected at the tenth gate
(Seat of the Soul, the sixth chakra, also known as the Third Eye,
bindu, center between the eyebrows) therein lies the path for our
return. This is the act of leaving the gates of the sense organs and
becoming established in the soul. 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 [The Nameless One,
Ultimate Reality]".


Here Are The Stages of Meditation As Taught in Traditional Sant Mat

All of the following spiritual exercises represent a transition from
outer to inner, from lower to higher, from physical to mental to
spiritual, a shift in one's awareness through several different
layers or regions, on the way back to Ultimate Reality or Non-
duality beyond all these veils of illusion.  As Sant Sevi Ji
writes: "The natural tendencies of the Soul are to move from outward
to inward. The Current of Consciousness which is dispersed in the
nine gates of the body and the nine senses must be collected at the
Third Eye. Therein lies the path for our return."

The following is by Sant Sevi Ji's Satguru: Maharishi Mehi, from the
book, Philosophy of Liberation (Moksa Darsan), also recently
translated from Hindi and published in English.

"The practice involves a specific meditation taught by a qualified
Teacher. Meditation has four levels of practice each building on the
preceding practice:

Four Stages of Sadhana (Spiritual Practice)

"The first stage is manas japa (mental repetition of sacred name
meditation [simran, zikhr, mentally repeating/chanting God's
Name "with the tongue of thought"]). This is a simple technique and
has been widely taught and practiced in the East as well as the
West. It has the effect of calming the restless "monkey-mind" and
preparing for the following stages of meditation. [Note: In most
lineages of Masters like this, it is the living Teacher that gives
you the sacred words to repeat and complete details and proper
guidance how to use them and other techniques within.]

"The second stage is the manas dhyana -- practice of focusing on a
specific image [Note: In Mehi's tradition, mentally contemplating or
visualizing the form of one's Teacher/Satguru is called dhyan or
manas dhyana. For more on Dhyan Meditation, see Chapter Seven of the
book, The Philosophy of the Masters, Volume Two, by Huzur Baba Sawan
Singh.]

"The third stage is known as drishti yoga -- uninterrupted
concentration of an infinitesimal point [gazing upon inner Light or
the Radiant Form at the Third Eye Center or Single Eye -- the Yoga
of Light].

"The fourth stage Surat Shabad Yoga (the art of inner hearing -- the
meditation of Divine Sound) is focus on celestial inarticulate
sounds within, which ultimately leads to the final goal [merging
with the Soundless, Nameless One]."

"The Sounds are somewhat similar to the sounds of: the veena
(stringed instrument similar to the lyre), the mridang (drum or
thunder), the mrdal (cymbals), the singi (a horn), the sitar
(stringed instrument), or the sarangi (similar to a lute).  (Also
see, the Nad Bind Upanishad, for a list of inner Sounds.)

On the power of the inner Sound, Shiv Brat Lal writes: "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.
We hear external instrumental music like the sitar, sarangi, violin,
harmonium, fiddle, flute and veena. We become attracted by them and
almost acquire a semi-rapturous condition. One can well imagine how
charming the Internal Music emanating from both subtle and causal
regions can be. It is a thousand times more enchanting and
absorbing! All one needs is to get the know-how of this simple
method of the Saints."


Sant Sevi Ji Maharaj, in another new book published in January of
this year called, Quintessence of Yoga: Secrets of Success,
writes: "Devotee Jaydayal Goyandka taught clearly about the Yoga of
Vision or Light and the Yoga of inner divine Sound. To consolidate
vision and meditation with closed eyes causes:

1) steadiness of mind,
2) purity of character,
3) inner peace, and,
4) removal of ill-will.

"Closing the ears when we hear the divine Sound within ourselves is
the best approach. There is no harm in it. We can include this along
with other practices. This practice of inner Sound can go on in the
night, because there is no noise at that time and environment is
peaceful......When the inner divine Sound merges into the
imperishable Supreme Lord, there is the absolute State of
Soundlessness (the Ultimate Reality)."

You may ask, what does it mean to "close the ears"? There is a
technique initiates learn to do just that in order to focus on inner
Sound. Also, sometimes people use earplugs to block outer sounds
during inner Sound practice [bhajan]. But there is another meaning.
Some clarification is given in the book, The Harmony of All
Religions, by Sant Sevi Ji, who states that closing the ears is
primarily an internal reality that occurs after one's awareness has
gone within: "When you focus your gaze within ajna chakra then
automatically your physical ears will close and the inner ears will
open."

Here is the whole paragraph containing that sentence: "The path to
find God is within your heart. Enter into ajna chakra (Third Eye
Center, Seat of the Soul) and you will find it. It is found not in a
man-made Ka'ba (Muslim pilgrimage place), but in God made Ka'ba
(holy place), which means within your own heart or self. You should
listen attentively to the reverberating divine Sound. The celestial
Sound is coming to take you back to the Source. Listen to it
attentively. Remember you cannot hear this with the physical ears.
When you focus your gaze within ajna chakra then automatically your
physical ears will close and the inner ears will open. By that power
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."


Maharishi Mehi: "Each stage of meditation has specific hallmarks to
indicate progress. Although the above techniques may sound complex,
this path is extremely simple to practice as is evidenced by the
great numbers of people who have been practicing this meditation
since ancient times."

To see the "specific hallmarks" or visionary and auditory markers
along the way alluded to here (moons, suns, stars, crooked tunnels,
dark voids, bright Light, etc....), see "Chart Number Two, PDF File:
http://www.spiritualawakeningradio.com/chart.pdf


NDE's (Near-Death Experiences) and OOBE's (Out-of-body or soul
travel) via Meditation

This is a paragraph from the book, Enchanted Land -- A Journey With
the Saints of India, published by the MSAC Philosophy Group, going
over the same inner steps and stages to this inner mystical
landscape, from the chapter dedicated to the teachings of a female
Radhaswami Guru by the name of Yogani Mata Ji:

"How consciousness can be released from the mortal frame by
attaching itself to the Stream of Celestial Music radiating from the
top of the head and beyond......

"Coupled with this physical stillness and ceaseless repetition of
God's name, the next step is to contemplate the Light within. At
first, Mata Ji pointed out, there will be only darkness but
eventually Light will appear in the form of either small flashes or
small star-like points. In any case, one should focus on the
Radiance, keeping one's simran [name repetition] intact and allowing
the Light to draw the soul inward. The third and most important
step, Mata Ji said, is to listen to the Sound that issues forth from
the Light. It is this Internal Music which will numb the body and
allow the consciousness to leave its ordinary dwelling. By riding
this Current of Light and Sound, like a fish going upstream, the
soul will be able to go back to its Original Home.......

"According to Mata Ji, what near-death patients experience is only
the beginning of a vast sojourn into great universes of light, love
and beauty." (ISBN: 1-56543-053-0)


Maharishi Mehi from, The Philosophy of Liberation, reveals the final
goal of Sant Mat Meditation -- The Fifth Stage that few talk about:
merging with the Soundless, Nameless One: "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. The internal practice of meditation
ends here: the Supreme God is realized and the work is completed."

Stories of the Saints: Guru Nanak and the Nawab

Meditation Sangat:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MeditationSangat
{"This world is illusion. Death and birth are inevitable.
Meditate!" -- Last Words of Baba Devi Sahab
__________________________________________________________________

The fruits of accepting a true master are immense. Unfortunately,
true teachers are few and difficult to find. A spiritual master who
is wise, pure and a practitioner of the Yoga of Divine Sound
gradually imparts his or her virtues to the student. The good will
of the spiritual teacher cannot but help affecting the aspirant in a
positive manner because one is affected by the power of a higher
vibration. (Sant Maharishi Mehi, The Philosophy of Liberation)
__________________________________________________________________

Without the association of great saints,
there is neither discourse of the Divine
nor the understanding of the scriptures.
Without these two,
selfish attachment does not loosen its grip.
And without dispelling attachment to the world
one cannot attain the realm of the Divine
and the true devotion that is essential
to realize the Divine. (Sant Tulsi Das)
__________________________________________________________________

When Nanak returned home he gave away most of his possessions to
needy people. He became increasingly detached from worldly affairs,
and began to spend a good deal of his time in meditation and
satsang. On one occasion he was asked: "Are you a Hindu or a
Muslim?" Nanak replied, "With respect to my body, neither. I am no
different from Hindus or from Muslims, but the divine light which is
unceasingly shining within me is neither Hindu nor Muslim."

One time on a Friday, the holy day of the Muslims, the Nawab and
other Muslim courtiers were going to the mosque to do their routine
prayers (namaz). A Muslim cleric said that if Nanak believed in only
one God, Allah, then he should join them in prayer in the mosque. So
Nanak went to the mosque with them and stood in the line of Muslim
worshippers. During the prayer the worshippers bent down and put
their heads on the ground to show their servitude to Allah, but
Nanak stood in silence without taking part in the namaz. After the
prayers the Muslim cleric questioned Nanak: "We showed our respect
to God. Why did you not partake in this with us?" Baba Nanak
replied, "Your prayer cannot be accepted in heaven." The clergy
asked, "Why do you say this?" Nanak replied, "Your mouth indeed was
murmuring the prayers, but your mind was intent on your mare which
today has given birth to a colt. Your mind was filled with fear lest
the newborn colt might fall in the well. Now, you tell me, how can
this kind of prayer be accepted by God?" The cleric felt embarrassed
and was mortified.

The Nawab, who was listening to the conversation, asked Nanak, "Tell
me, will my prayer be accepted in the heavens?" Baba Nanak
replied, "Your mind also was not in the prayer. You were
anticipating the arrival of the horses that you have ordered from
Kandahar. Your mind was distracted by concerns about buying and
selling horses." The Nawab responded with exasperation,
declaring: "Nanak is a mystic, he is a prophet. But, this is my
misfortune -- he was my minister but now he has become a fakir!" The
Nawab implored with devoutness, "Dervish Nanak! Please bestow upon
me that light with which you came to dissipate the darkness of the
world. Please show me the right path and make me your disciple." In
his divine compassion Nanak made him his sikh (disciple) and the
Nawab benefited immensely. (Sant Sevi Ji Maharaj)

Complexity of Dharma Ethics, Ahimsa vs. Protecting Others from Harm,
etc....

Meditation Sangat:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MeditationSangat
{"Come out of the circle of time,
and into the circle of love." -- RUMI

At the bottom is from Master Kirpal's book on the "Soldier Saint",
Baba Jaimal Singh, who was in the Indian army.

The following is from Sant Sevi Ji's book, The Harmony of All
Religions.

Complexity of Dharma Ethics:

The Mahabharata (ch.11/13) says,

"Non-violence is the greatest of all laws (dharmas)".

This principle is not only dharma for those whose religion is based
on the Vedas, but is also considered of prime importance in other
religions. Buddhism (Dhammapada 17:3) and Christianity (Bible,
Exodus 20:13; Matthew 5:5, 5:7; 5:21; 5:38-39) also require non-
violence from their followers, just as Manu did. Taking life is not
the only kind of violence. Within this principle of non-violence is
also included not hurting some one's mind or body. This means not
doing harm to any living being. In this world all people agree that
non violence is the greatest dharma principle to be followed.

But now imagine that someone is trying to take our life or rape our
wife or daughter or start a fire in our house or steal our money. If
we are unprotected and some evil person has a weapon, what should we
do? Should we ignore that evil person and tell him that non-violence
is the greatest dharma. And if he does not listen to us and pay heed
to our plea, should we control him with whatever power we have?

Manu says,

"One should not hesitate to dispatch that evil person and we should
not care if he is a guru, old person, child, scholar or brahman."4

Under such circumstances, if you kill you are not guilty of the sin
of killing, because in fact the evil person was killed by his own
lawlessness. The killing of a fetus is considered a most condemned
act. But if a child becomes dangerously breached in the womb and the
mother's life is in danger, it is a moral imperative to sacrifice
the child for the sake of the mother's life.

Non-violence, forgiveness, compassion and placidity (œhanti) are
described and prescribed as virtues by the shastras and sacred
texts. However, it is not advised to remain resigned all the time.
For instance, one must protect children from evil.

Sage Prahlad told his grandson, Bali,

"It is not always good to forgive; neither is it good always to be
angry. Even so the scholars spoke about exceptions in forgiveness".5

"After non-violence we should consider the virtue of truthfulness.
In various parts of the Mahabharata truth is said to be "the highest
all of all moral acts."6

The Mahabharata says,

"If we compare the power of truth with a thousand grand sacrifices,
truth will be greater."

In the Tatittariya Upanishad (1/11/1), truth is given the superior
place and the other sacred duties (dharma) are described as
secondary,

"Speak Truth. Follow your moral duty."

In the Mahabharata, when Bhisma was lying on a bed of arrows before
his death, he taught the essence and importance of truth and told
Yudhishthira, the oldest son of Pandu to act always in accordance
with truth, truth is indeed the essence. Similarly, a great emphasis
is placed on truth in other religions such as Buddhism and
Christianity.

The literal and essential meaning of truth is that which always is,
is permanent, is eternal, and which never lacks.

Krishna tell Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita (2:16),

"The unreal [that which does not exist] never is. The Real [that
which truly exists] never ceases to be. The conclusion about these
two is truly perceived by the seers of Truth. Truth is always
triumphant; non-truth is conquered."7

The Shastras constantly and rightly praise truth. We should
nevertheless carefully consider if there are exceptions to speaking
the truth. Let us consider if a murderer with a weapon were chasing
an innocent with the intent of killing him. If the fleeing person
hides near us, should we tell the truth if the villain asks us the
whereabouts of the fleeing person? Should we speak truth and have
that innocent person killed or should we speak a lie and protect the
life of that man? In such an instance, speaking truth incurs the sin
of violence and telling a lie incurs the good results associated
with non-violence. So there are exceptions—which are only apparent
exceptions—to telling the truth. Again, let us say that a certain
child is sick and the doctor has told that child to stay away from
certain foods. The child, of course, does not understand and wants
to continue eating the same foods. By eating the same foods, the
child's sickness will increase. The mother tells the child that that
food is not in the house and that she will give it to him when she
has gone to the market. In this case, the mother's false speech
protects the life of the child. Here again is a paradoxical example
of non-truth fulfilling the law of non-violence (ahimsa, literally,
non-harming).

Compare it to the following reference from the Bible,

"The letter [of the law or dharma] brings death; but the spirit [of
dharma] gives life". (2 Corinthians 3:6).

One must be careful not to commit a crime simply to obey an outward
rule.

Non-Static Laws of Dharma:

What is one's dharma in reality? The laws of dharma are not static
they depend on the circumstances, culture, time-period and
upbringing of the person [culture-specific values] involved. In the
actual, lived experience of life, there are many occasions when
untruth instead of truth is the appropriate behavior or dharma. It
happens sometimes that violence instead of non-violence protects the
lives of people and this is appropriate behavior or dharma. In the
Mahabharata it is said that to protect a family, an individual
family member may be sacrificed; to protect a village a family may
be sacrificed; and to protect a country, an entire village may be
sacrificed. (Sant Sevi Ji Maharaj, The Harmony of All Religions)


Soldier Saint: Baba Jaimal Singh, from, A Great Saint -- Baba Jaimal
Singh, by Kirpal Singh

From Agra, Jaimal Singh returned to his regiment at Jhansi. The rest
of his story as a soldier is simply told. It is unnecessary to
enumerate the many places at which the 24th Sikh Regiment was
stationed from time to time. Whatever happened, wherever he went,
Jaimal Singh let nothing interrupt the routine of his spiritual
sadhnas. Like a lover in the frenzy of love, he was forever centered
in the joy of the inner life. Even when his regiment was in action
in the Northwestern Frontier during the Anglo-Afghan War in 1879, he
would leave his quarters at night, go into the wilderness, dig a pit
and, with his rifle tucked under his knees, get lost in meditation.

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{"The things that aren't said can be more important
than those that are." -- Dr. Vincent "Wally" Bolé" }

The Womb of Meditation Gives Birth To Realization

Some interesting verses on the benefits of meditation and stillness
from "The Jesus Sutras" found in China.

Naamaste',

James
Meditation Sangat


12 To be pure and still means to be open to purity and stillness --
as a result you can intuit the truth.

22 "Doing creates movement which results in anxiety: Then it is
impossible to find Rest and Contentment.

23 This is why I teach no wanting and doing without doing. It stops
you thinking about things which disturb you,
Then you can enter into the source of pure empty being.

24 Detach yourself from what disturbs and distracts you,
And be as pure as one who breathes in purity and emptiness. 25 This
state is the gateway to enlightenment -- It is the Way to Peace and
Happiness."

(The Jesus Sutras: Rediscovering the Lost Scrolls of Taoist
Christianity, by Martin Palmer)

Spiritual Protection, the Name of the Positive Power

Meditation Sangat:
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{"The things that aren't said can be more important
than those that are." -- Dr. Vincent "Wally" Bolé}

A Presence of Love fills the room and the heart. One discovers the
God of Love.

To return to this experience again and again, and to be centered,
protected, repeat (either verbally or mentally) a name of God that
is special to you. This is called the Prayer of the Name. It's one's
mantra (simran, zikhr) to use in meditation, and one's "shield" or
protection always, a way to tune our mind to a different station, so
to speak. (Initiates of Sant Mat, use the name or names of God the
Master gave you at the time of initiation.)

Naamaste',

James
MeditationSangat

Recognize the Path to Your Beloved

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{"The things that aren't said can be more important
than those that are." -- Dr. Vincent "Wally" Bolé}

A quote from the 16th century Indian Master Dadu, who outlined the
Sant Mat vision of the spiritual life to be pursued during our time
here on planet Earth:

Recognize the Path to your Beloved, O travelers and take the route
of the anguished lover in separation. Keep the Master's grace in
your thoughts, and reflect upon his pure teachings. Develop love and
devotion with endearment, and keep the thought of the Creator always
before you. Try to merge yourself into God like water and water. Fix
your mind within by following the Path of the Sound Current. A
yearning will arise; make then an intense and anguished call. Repeat
the Name of your Beloved, day and night, again and again. With care
in thought, word and deed, you will cross to the other shore. (Sant
Dadu Sahib)

Returning to the Source Through the Inner Journey

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{"The things that aren't said can be more important
than those that are." -- Dr. Vincent "Wally" Bolé}

The individual Soul has descended from the higher worlds [realm 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 qualities (natural tendencies) of the sense
organs draw us upward (by withdrawing consciousness) from the
darkness to the realms of Light and Sound. In other words, to go
inward from the external sense organs to the depth of the inner
Self. The natural tendencies of the Soul (Atman) are to move from
outward to inward. 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. This is
the act of leaving the gates of the sense organs and becoming
established in the soul. 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.

-- Sant Sevi Ji Maharaj

Amrit Vela - Brahmamuhurta - The Hour of Elixir - Meditation Upon God

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There are no limitations as to time and place for Simran. It may be
done at any time and at any place, sitting or standing, walking, or
in bed, but it must be done in a state of conscious wakefulness.
Early morning hours (Amrit Vela) is the best time for Simran. A
light and frugal night meal, consisting of milk and fruits, and
morning ablutions are aids in the right direction. Purity of
thoughts, words and deeds go a long way to make success of the
Sadhan (spiritual discipline) for ethical life precedes spiritual
life and is in fact the very ground on which the spiritual structure
has to be raised........

The Sound Current or Word is contacted through the medium of Simran,
which withdraws the spirit current from the body; when the current
comes up to the seat of the soul in the waking state, only then it
contacts the Conscious Power working throughout the whole creation.
It will therefore appear that Simran or the process of the sweet
remembrance of the Word is the stepping stone to contacting the Word
within. The first step is therefore to do the Simran or repetition
of the charged words given by a competent Master, and the second
step is, when the soul is withdrawn to its seat in the body at the
back of the two eyes, it contacts the Word which is called Naam,
Shabd, Nad, Akash Bani, Kalma, Sarosha, etc. This Word has two
phases: one is of Light and the other of Sound, which the soul
experiences when it comes in contact with that Power. He sees the
Light of God and hears sweet symphonies of the rapturous strains of
the Sound Current going on within which gives its sweetness very
sublime and ineffable; so sweet that no words can convey.

Farid, a Muslim Saint, says: "O Lord, there are so many sweet things
in the world such as honey, buffalo milk, sugar, but the sweetness
that Your Name conveys, O Lord, is far sweeter than all these." It
is a subject to be done practically and tasted by the individual
self. It is not a matter of routine only nor of mere talking. It is
a matter to experienced by contact within. Those who have tasted the
sweet elixir of it have talked about it in glowing terms.

-- Kirpal Singh, from, Simran: The Sweet Remembrance of God


The Supreme Lord should be sought within, beyond the realm of the
senses.

To move spiritually upward within one's self, through and beyond the
inner regions, is to progress towards union with the Supreme Lord.
This practice is devotion to the Supreme Lord and is unfailing. This
spiritual practice is for attaining the perfect Gnosis or personal
Knowledge of the Self and is also called the Antarik Satsanga (inner
effort to meet the Supreme Lord).

Listening to and study of the discourses on this sacred knowledge is
an important step in the Sant Mat tradition. Listening to satsanga
(spiritual discourses) is prescribed as an essential activity.

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.

"Meditation Should Be An Essential Part
of the Practitioner's Daily Routine"

A comfortable asana (a pose of sitting or posture) of keeping the
head, neck and trunk straight and steady is a must for meditation.
Without the ability to sit in such a steady posture for prolonged
periods, meditation cannot be practiced.

Meditation should be practiced being alert, without being drowsy,
shutting the eyes comfortably and without turning the eyeballs or
pressing them in any way.

The practice of meditation should be an essential part of the
practitioner's daily routine. The preferred time of meditation is
brahmamuhurta (very early in the morning: 3:00 A.M.). Likewise one
should meditate at mid-morning and then again in the evening time.
While falling asleep, one should also engage his mind in
meditation.

-- Maharishi Mehi Paramahansa Ji Maharaj,
"The Philosophy of Liberation"

Within My Dark Mind the Divine Light Has Dawned -- Guru Arjan Dev

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than those that are." -- Dr. Vincent "Wally" Bolé}

My doubt and dread are dispelled in an instant, within my dark mind
the Divine Light has dawned.

With every breath, Nanak meditates on the Lord and is ever, ever a
sacrifice unto Him.

In both the places, here and hereafter, the chivalrous Guru protects
me. The Exalted Lord has embellished this world and the next one,
all mine affairs are adjusted.

Meditating upon the Lord God's Name, one enjoys celestial bliss and
bathes in the dust of the saints' feet.

His comings and goings cease, he obtains stability and his
lamentations of many births are ended.

He swims across the ocean of doubt and dread, his fear of death is
past, he sees the one Lord fully filling all hearts.

Nanak has come under the protection of the destroyer of sorrow and
beholds His Presence, both within and without.

Seeing the Lord's vision, all the ills hasten away.

0 my Master, be Thou not ever out of my sight, and abide Thou with
my soul.

My Beloved Lord is the support of my life. My Lord, the Knower of
hearts, pervades all.

With every breath, I contemplate Thee, 0 Lord.

0 Lord, the Ocean of Mercy and Compassionate to the poor, the One
who cherishes all your souls.

All day long, Thy servant, 0 Lord utters Thy Name. Thy love, Thou
Thyself hast infused in Nanak.

-- Guru Arjan Dev, Adi Granth
    ("Shri Guru Granth Sahib"),
    Volume Five,
    Translated by Manmohan Singh

Nada (inner Sound) Meditation and the Principles of Sant Mat

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{"The things that aren't said can be more important
than those that are." -- Dr. Vincent "Wally" Bolé}
_____________________________________________________________

Nada (inner Sound) Meditation Practice: Nada-anu-sandhana
-- Parallels between Surat Shabd Yoga and Yogindra's
Hatha-Yoga-Pradipika
_____________________________________________________________

Nada (inner Sound) Meditation Practice: Nada-anu-sandhana

The cultivation of the inner Sound is known as Nada-anu-sandhana.

Svatmarama Yogindra calls the inner Sound a bolt by which the unruly
horse of the mind is locked within. In another striking metaphor, he
compares the mind under the spell of the inner Sound to a cobra that
is hypnotized and rendered harmless by the melody of the snake
charmer's flute. Then he writes: "With constant cultivation of the
Nada, accumulations of sin are eliminated. In this way, mind and
life force (marut) definitely become absorbed in the untainted
Supreme Reality."

Svatmarama Yogindra, the author of the Hatha-Yoga-Pradipika,
outlines the stages of Nada (inner Sound) practice as follows:
First, the practitioner should block his or her ears with the
fingers and focus inwardly, listening for the arising of the inner
Sound (Nada). To begin with, a variety of sounds may be heard,
becoming increasingly subtle. Thus 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. He or she should
continue to focus on whatever Sound is attractive until the mind
achieves perfect steadiness. (The Shambhala Guide to Yoga, Shambhala
Publications)

Excerpts from Chapter 15 of Yogindra's Hatha-Yoga-Pradipika

NADA, THE INNER SOUND

I now shall describe the practice of Nada, as has been proclaimed by
Gorakshanath......Lord Siva has shown innumerable paths to laya, but
it seems to me that the practice of Nada is the best of them all.

One seats himself in siddhasana and assumes shambhavi mudra,
listening to the inner Sound that Rings in his right ear. Close
ears, nose, mouth, and eyes, then you will distinctly hear a clear
sound in the sushumna,...... During the initial stage of practice
various strong sounds are audible, but as progress is made they
become more and more refined. --At first they sound like the roaring
of the Ocean or like Thunder, like Kettle Drums, or Trumpets. Then
they become more and more subtle until they sound like Flutes and
Harps, like the Humming of bees. In this way one hears them in the
center of the body. Even as the loud sounds [still] ring out, one
should concentrate on the subtle Sound. --One may well let the
attention swing between these two sounds, but the mind should never
be allowed to wander to external objects. --The attention turns
naturally to the sound that has the strongest attraction.

.....After the vibration has pierced the last knot [the ajna
chakra], the forehead's center [of consciousness], it rises to the
divine place. With this the fourth stage sets in, where one hears
the sound of the Flute and the Vina....The state of dissolution
[laya] arising from the [inner Sound] Nada creates this spontaneous
experience. --[All] yogis who have reached the state of samadhi
through this concentration on Nada have experienced a bliss in their
hearts that surpasses all description and can be known only by a
god. --The silent ascetic, having closed his ears, listens
[attentively] to the sound in his heart until he attains the state
of oneness with all [samadhi]. --The power of inner Sound gradually
surpasses the external sounds. Thus the yogi can overcome the
weakness of the mind and reach his goal in 15 days....

Just as the bee who drinks the flower's honey is not concerned with
its scent, so also the mind, when absorbed in Sound, does not care
about the pleasure-bound senses.

The sharp iron prong of nada can effectively curb the [elephant]
mind when it wants to gambol in the pleasure garden of the sense-
objects. --When the mind has been divested of its fickle nature and
has been fettered by the ropes of the inner Sound, then it reaches
the highest state of concentration and remains still, like a bird
that has lost its wings.

He who wishes to reach the mastery of yoga should renounce all his
[restless] thoughts and practice with carefully concentrated mind
the dissolution [of the world of senses] in Nada laya.

The inner Sound [the bindu] is like a trap to capture the gazelle
[the mind]; like a hunter, it kills the animal [conceptual thought].

The inner Sound is like a bolt on the stable door that keeps the
horse [conceptual thinking] from roaming about. Therefore the yogi
should daily practice concentration on this Nada [Sound]. --Mercury
distilled with sulphur becomes solid and divested of its active
nature. It becomes capable of rising into the air. Similarly, the
mind it made steady by the influence of Nada and becomes united with
the all-pervading Brahman.

When the mind [free of concepts] comes to know, it does not run
toward the Ringing Sound like a [curious] serpent.

The fire that burns a piece of wood dies out when the wood has been
consumed. So also the mind when it remains concentrated on Nadam
(and does not search for new fuel) gets absorbed in it. --When the
fourfold mind (antakharana) has been attracted by the Sound of Bells
etc., like a gazelle, a skillful archer can hit it with his arrow.

Space [akasha] exists only as long as the Sound is heard. In
Soundlessness atman and Brahman are one [Paramatma]. (from the
Hatha-Yoga-Pradipika) ////////

Surat Shabd Yoga Meditation

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The method taught by the Masters of the Surat Shabd Yoga ..... the
nature of Creation and the way back to life's Initial Source is
explained to the seeker. At the time of initiation, he is given a
first-hand inner experience which he is taught to develop. The seat
of the soul is between and behind the eyebrows. This at least is
accepted by all yogas. It is to this point that mystics refer when
they speak of shiv netra, divya chakshu, tisra til, Brahmrendra,
triambka, trilochana nukta-i-sweda, koh-i-toor, third eye, single
eye, figuratively called the still point, the mount of
transfiguration, etc. It is at this point that the sadhak, having
closed his eyes, must focus his attention; but the effort at
concentration must be an effortless one and there must be no
question of any physical or mental strain. To assist this effort the
teacher gives the disciple a mantra, or charged verbal formula,
which is symbolic of the journey ahead. This formula, when repeated
slowly and lovingly with the tongue of thought, helps the disciple
to collect his scattered thoughts gradually at a single point. What
gives this Mantra its potency is not any magic inherent in the words
per se, but the fact that it is given by One, Who by His own
Spiritual practice and mastery, has charged It with inner power.
When the aspirant, by his inner concentration and by the mental
repetition of the charged words, has brought his inward gaze to a
sharp and steady focus, he will find that the darkness within that
he at first confronted gets gradually illuminated by shifting points
of Light. As his powers of concentration increase, the Lights cease
flickering and develop into a Single Radiating Point.

This process of concentration, or the collection of surat,
automatically draws the spirit-currents, normally dissipated all
over the body, toward the spiritual center. This withdrawal is
greatly assisted by simran or repetition of the charged Mantra; and
the perception of the inner Light, leading to dhyan or one-pointed
concentration, quickens the process still further. In turn, dhyan,
when fully developed, leads to bhajan or inner hearing. The inner
Light begins to become Resonant.

"Within thee is Light and within the Light the Sound,
and the same shall keep thee attached to the True One." GURBANI

The practitioner, when he shuts his physical ears, gets rapidly
absorbed into the Music. It is a common experience that though Light
can catch the eye, it cannot hold it for very long and has no very
magnetic quality about it. But with Music it is different. He who
hears it in silence and stillness is drawn irresistibly, as it were,
into another world, a different realm of experience. And so the
process of withdrawal that begins with simran is stimulated by
dhyan, and is rapidly extended by bhajan. The spiritual currents,
already moving slowly, are carried upward, collecting finally at the
third eye--the seat of the soul. The spiritual transcending of
physical consciousness, or death in life, is thus achieved with the
minimum of effort and travail.

-- Master Kirpal Singh
    Surat Shabd Yoga
    Ruhani Satsang Books

Evaluating a Spiritual Teacher, Awesome Article! Compentent Satgurus
are Rare in this world

Meditation Sangat:
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{"The things that aren't said can be more important
than those that are." -- Dr. Vincent "Wally" Bolé}

Evaluating a Spiritual Teacher
By Don Howard
all rights reserved ©2006
http://www.thewayofsages.com/Qualifying%20a%20Spiritual%20Teacher-by%
20Don%20Howard.pdf

(shared with Don's permission)

Sitting in the Tokyo airport on my way back home from India I was
feeling disappointed, disillusioned and somewhat sad. For the second
time in this life I had realized that a spiritual teacher who I was
following was disingenuous. I had been lied to and conned and I was
finished with this "spiritual teacher". I questioned if there were
any true teachers -- anywhere. As I measured my predicament I
wondered how many other seekers of truth had found themselves in
this situation? It was then that I began to consider, and in no
uncertain terms the requirements of a teacher. This experience in
the airport was the catalyst for later compiling a list of specific
requirements which a spiritual teacher should and should not
possess. This list is the topic of this presentation.

As you read below you will see that I have very specific ideas of
what a teacher is and is not. However, I do not have all the answers
and for many I may have no answers. I am not a sage but merely a
seeker on the path who has learned that the path can contain the
treacherous. I hope my story and points can keep you from some of
the spiritual landmines which I have seen and sometimes detonated.
It is my heartfelt wish that you have or may find a true teacher.

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?

The West, in spite of its heavy reliance on rationality, seems to
have missed this inescapable logic, for more often than not in the
West the spiritual seeker avoids any type of spiritual teacher. Our
Western independence and individuality play a prominent role in this
phenomenon: in the West we hold the social notion sacrosanct which
tells us that all men are equal and therefore that social hierarchy
should be disdained and authority held in suspicion. Social
hierarchy and its attendant respect for authority seems to be a
hallmark of eastern cultures and is pivotal in those cultures'
relationship with spiritual teachers. Conversely, many of us in the
West have a difficult time submitting to spiritual seniority with
its implied authority and implicit suppression of individuality.
Fear of being submissive (and the consequent damage to one's pride)
and the foreign concept of spiritual teacher (guru) are common
reasons for avoiding the formal teacher-disciple relationship. Add
to this the fact that the media—often accurately—depicts "spiritual
teachers" as charlatans and it is not hard to see why most western
seekers are reluctant to seek such guidance.

To seek for the truth sounds simple, but once the search begins the
enormity of the task begins to emerge. A guide or teacher is not
only desirable but, practically speaking, a necessity. The Persian
mystic Rumi warns: "Seek a perfect Master, for without the Master
this journey abounds with perils, lures, and pitfalls...without the
protecting hand of the Master...you will be bewildered." And in The
Zen Teachings of Bodhidharma, an aspirant is admonished: "If you
don't find a teacher soon, you'll live this life in vain. It's true,
you have the buddha-nature. But without the help of a teacher you'll
never know it. Only one person in a million becomes enlightened
without a teacher's help." In the East, it is axiomatic that a
genuine teacher is required if the seeker is to make any real
progress.

A truism holds in this field as well as others that the student
cannot learn more than the teacher knows. But the problem in the
spiritual field is that it is difficult to know what the teacher
knows. Unlike other areas of knowledge, where certificates of
competence such as the Ph.D. are issued and serve as bona fide
evidence of accomplishment, there are no such certificates in the
spiritual realm. To make matters worse, self-proclaimed spiritual
teachers usually are neither spiritual nor teachers.

I am reminded here of a "spiritual teacher" from India whose web
site advertises him as profoundly enlightened. I had occasion to
experience first hand just how profoundly enlightened he was. On a
trip to India I was asked by one of his American disciples to
deliver a parcel to him as he was in India at that time. For customs
purposes I insisted upon knowing the contents of the parcel. A
partial list included: "soma vision" (a personal electrical strobe
light which could be worn as a pair of glasses), and a pair of Nike
running shoes. I suspected then I might not be meeting with one of
the spiritually elect. Confirming this was a list of enlightenment
courses, which were enumerated on the Swami's web site. The courses
increased in cost as the degree of enlightenment sought increased.
As I recall, you could buy a fairly high degree of enlightenment for
around $900.00. The swami was disappointed that we were unwilling to
donate to his organization. All in all my wife and I had a good
chuckle. Only later did we realize the damage this man was doing:
people actually follow this man for spiritual advice, thereby
exposing themselves to a form of psychological damage so subtle that
it is difficult to correct.

I began to realize then that choosing a Spiritual teacher for many
is not considered a decision requiring intellectual deliberation and
discrimination. Such casual choosing usually has the not so
surprising result. That result tends to be disappointment and
disillusionment. As such careless seekers will tell you: caution and
careful consideration are important in this search. In the West we
are not familiar with the concept of a "spiritual master" and even
less familiar with what to expect from such a person. Little is
known or written on how one should assess a teacher.

Where to begin? Having garnered the experiences of many seekers, as
well as personal interactions with numerous would-be teachers (and
also considering interactions with persons I personally believe to
be genuine spiritual masters), several observations emerge. I always
consider that anyone can claim to be a spiritual adept, and
unfortunately most claimants are counterfeit. For every 100 so-
called masters only a few are genuine. There is a strong motivation
these days to go into the guru-business: it's profitable and brings
prestige. And it's easy to get into this business. In India, for
example, the purchase of saffron robes and a few sets of used beads
are all that's needed to start such a business. In the West it's a
little more complicated (robes, for example, are not as appealing
as, say, a medicine man's herb-bag hanging around one's neck). If
you can say that you are a channel for some archangel, all the
better. I think you get my drift of how easy it is for the unethical
to be tempted by this easier way to make a living.

Many people can be lured to follow a spiritual counterfeit. I
say "many" because I include in the counterfeits the Jimmy Bakers of
the world as well. I personally have been fooled twice. Seeking a
spiritual master is an arduous pursuit filled with traps, snares,
emotional investment and often heartbreak. Many will give up after
realizing they've been deceived.

So how can one tell if a master is genuine? Actually there is a
wealth of information on this subject, most of it from the Eastern
scriptures or Indian masters and, of course, some is simple common
sense.

I would caution the reader that the following are my opinions only.
I have used these in my own seeking and am not saying these are the
only way or even the right ways to qualify a teacher. I am saying
that they seemed to work for me. If I sound a bit like I'm preaching
from the pulpit please excuse me, my intention is to submit these as
ideas not dogmas.

I would consider several early warning signals which may be applied
well before deciding to follow a teacher. First: Paying money for
spiritual guidance is a violation of fundamental spiritual
principles. In my opinion taking money is the number one "no-no" in
conveying this knowledge. If you are asked to pay money to learn a
spiritual path, walk away--no run away! The rule of the transmission
of spiritual teachings is that one does not charge a fee for such
knowledge. Most established traditions confirm this. One may be
asked to alter your lifestyle slightly or to take up a different
diet or to commit time to practice the spiritual exercises. These
are the true payments. For the payment is from you to the Ultimate
Truth, not from your bank account to someone else's.

How a spiritual teacher handles money will tell me a lot about the
worthiness of the teacher. Which brings us to the second point: a
teacher who lives lavishly is suspect. Numerous luxury cars, large
estate-type living, multiple "retreats," and opulent offices are
more often associated with the spiritually challenged than with the
spiritually advanced. These trappings are especially ominous if they
were purchased from "contributions" of his/her followers. Charities,
humble ashrams or headquarters housing older vehicles are more
desirable when looking for the accouterments of a master. Less
emphasis on money is better in the spiritual realm of masters.
Optimally, the teacher should live on his own income which is not
derived from his followers. A true teacher only gives, he does not
take. The fact is we have nothing a true spiritual master wants. If
he takes contributions and lives a lavish life, then he "needs"
followers to support his lifestyle. This type of need is a red flag
signaling that this person will lead one to a spiritual dead end or
worse.

Third: those would be teachers who promise immediate spiritual
riches are questionable. The West has become accustomed to immediate
gratification in the material world. We have fast food, fast cars,
fast jets, high-speed everything. Why shouldn't we expect the same
in the spiritual field? Those unscrupulous "spiritual adepts" wise
to our thirst for instant gratification gladly advertise the same in
the spiritual realm, usually for a fee which is equal to the desired
speed. After all, higher speed always costs more, right? The reality
is, spiritual progress is something that requires a lot of hard
work, usually spanning a lifetime. It requires consistent, diligent
work. There should be definite, observable results for this work,
but they probably won't be immediate. Trust a teacher who recognizes
the real price of the spiritual venture.

I have found that in applying these first three screens, you have
effectively filtered out the majority of the disingenuous teachers.

You may have other initial evaluation tools of your own, but
generally if the teacher can pass these first three tests then he is
worth looking into further. Once I have accepted a guide, I continue
evaluating him as long as I am his student. Below are additional
danger signals which usually are not discovered until after
accepting a spiritual teacher.

Doubtless, the easiest way to recognize a false spiritual teacher is
to examine his moral life. Dishonesty and lying are absolutely
unacceptable from a spiritual teacher. In fact any type of unethical
or immoral behavior is my prompt to leave.

It seems easy enough to recognize unethical or immoral behavior, but
these types of behavior are rarely overt and generally are obscured
under some form of an exalted justification. For example I was once
told that it is permissible to deceive others in order to persuade
them to join the "spiritual community" because after all I will in
the end be helping that person. If one actually finds oneself in
this situation, it will probably sound incredibly convincing.
However, I always remember that deceit is never a trait of a true
teacher. Integrity is the litmus test of the spiritual life, and
therefore all the more so of a spiritual teacher.

There is more than one case of spiritually challenged teachers
taking sexual advantage of their followers. It is often later
revealed that those who were sexually preyed upon were told that
they were specially chosen to have this sexual experience and that
it is solely for their benefit and greater good. From the outside
this is obvious sexual misbehavior bordering on rape, but an
insider, who is psychologically invested, may buy into this
reasoning. Think of the difficulty of admitting that not only were
you sexually used but that your entire spiritual paradigm is wrong.
It takes a strong person to face up to this.

I do not personally tolerate lying and stealing in any form nor do I
tolerate deceit. I know of an organization whose spiritual misfit of
a teacher routinely had his disciples smuggle electronic equipment
across European borders to avoid import duty. The rationale was that
since this was work for the divine it was okay to dispense with the
more earthly rules such as import duties. This is easy to justify,
since spiritual law transcends man's law. True enough, out of
context. However, I try not to be fooled by such crafty
justifications for transgressing the law. See it for what it is:
theft. Maharishi Mehi of Bihar adds the additional danger of
following a morally corrupt teacher when he says: "...in following
an immoral teacher the aspirant would have the difficult task of not
going astray, much less advancing on the spiritual path."

Immense egos which are easily bruised are sure signs that it's time
to abandon this particular "path" and resume the search. A true
spiritual master has such power that it is not even imaginable to
most of us. But it seems that an equal or greater degree of humility
comes with such power. While a master may feign anger (and it is
usually obvious), he will never banish an aspirant who has been
rebuked. I have seen an aspirant who has been banished permanently
because he inadvertently bruised the `teachers` ego. A true Master
should not have lingering anger or a colossal ego. The words of
Kabir, the 15th century Indian Master summarize the above: "
Surrender yourself to him who has no worldly desires, who is devoted
to God and who has foregone his ego. Do not take long in leaving the
association of a false teacher for you will wander time and again
and will not find the entrance to the Divine…"

The guise of the spiritual teacher is another possible clue as to
his genuineness. The spiritual path has established traditional
methods, manners and modes of operation. I avoid those would be
masters who are self-styled (who have "invented" a method).
Spiritual seeking is hard enough without following an untried path.
The West tries to lend to spiritual seeking the same creativity that
has made it great in the field of material wealth. Unfortunately,
the rules change here and tradition, tried and true, are the best
road to travel. While there are more than one genuine spiritual
path, they are, nevertheless limited in number. I always avoid
channelers, so-called psychics, shamans etc which do not come from
an established path. If someone needs to employ themselves as a
channel to connect to the "other side," they are not worthy of the
title master. A true master effortlessly is connected not only to
the "other side" but to the Divine as well. If a prospective teacher
claims to be a messenger from some extraterrestrial place and offers
instant spiritual endowments then I consider him a spiritual
forgery. I Look for the exits and get out. I Look for traditional
lineages in traditional cultural settings. The cultural setting does
not have to be mine but the teacher should be from a traditional
lineage. Since spiritual paths are an area where the West clearly
does not excel; why not utilize those traditional paths that have
the endorsement of voyagers of those paths? To give an idea of what
is meant by "traditional," here is a list which I consider to be
traditional lineages: the Hindu masters and traditions of India,
Sufi traditions, Tibetan Buddhism, Zen Buddhism, Orthodox Hesychasm,
and certain recluse Catholic orders who employ structured meditation
such as "The Jesus Prayer". There are many others. A note of caution
however is that having a teacher from such a tradition does not
guarantee that such a teacher is qualified or even fit to teach a
spiritual path.

Any teacher who claims to be enlightened or spiritually advanced in
other ways -- who makes known his supposed spiritual powers I assume
to be unworthy. Humility and lack of ego is the hallmark of the
spiritually advanced. The public display of "miracles" is to be
especially suspect. I believe spiritual adepts do have the power to
render miracles but rarely do so. A "teacher" who routinely performs
miracles should be viewed dubiously. The following illustrates the
point: Several years ago an acquaintance of my wife and I were
attending the conference of World Religions in Chicago and came
across a "yogi" who produced bhuti (ash taken from a sacrificial
fire) out of thin air or so it seemed. My wife and I were both
suspicious of this man- we kept our opinions to our self but made it
a point to avoid him. Our acquaintance to our surprise was
enthralled. At last he proclaimed "I have found a true spiritual
adept". We said nothing as it was doubtful we could have persuaded
him otherwise. Our acquaintance proceeded to follow this "yogi" all
over the United States. Finally, one day the "great Yogi"
unexpectedly produced a lot of Bhuti which all could see had
obviously come literally from up his sleeve. I suppose the "yogi"
had a large decline in followers that day and included in the
stampede was our acquaintance, who related to us that the "great
yogi" was in fact not only not a master, but not even a competent
magician. I might add that one of the clues to this fake was his
very large ego.

Probably the most insidious of all false spiritual teachers are
those who exploit their followers. On a material level the aspirant
should not be asked by the teacher to give time or money. My wife
and I often volunteer to give but I consider it unacceptable for a
teacher to ask for money or ask for you to use your time in a way
which will materially better the teacher.

If aspirants are asked to volunteer work, or worse work full time
for a grossly underpaid salary, this is usually outright
exploitation. Community living is an exception, of course; but
lifestyles within the community should not differ much from disciple
to teacher. Many genuine teachers are dependant on their followers
to support their organization and there is nothing wrong with this.
However, I would say the line is crossed when one is asked to give.
Being asked to give even by a fellow aspirant should be carefully
considered. If the teacher lives a lavish lifestyle with large well
appointed residences, and expensive cars while his followers live a
common lifestyle then he should be viewed with skepticism.

The reason we take a teacher is for the personal element of teaching
which is so essential on this path. If the teacher is inaccessible
then what is the point? Inaccessible teachers are like painted cakes-
   they look great but are useless in satisfying our hunger. If you
cannot meet with a teacher face to face then how can you learn a
spiritual path? Personal instruction with time for questions and
answers is essential. An inaccessible teacher is the same as no
teacher.

Speaking of meeting face to face with a teacher brings up the
element of the quality of that meeting. In India this quality of
meeting with a true teacher is known as dharshan. Dharshan are the
spiritual emanations of the teacher which are received by the
student. The result of this is a deep sense of peace which stays
with the student for some time after his meeting with the teacher.
This is not a mood but an actual spiritual transmission which the
student experiences. For a dedicated student some form of this
experience should be present after meetings with the teacher. Lack
of this experience could as easily be from a lack of receptiveness
as easily as from lack of an accomplished spiritual teacher. So be
careful on what conclusion you draw if this experience seems to be
missing.

Finally, assuming one has had the good fortune of finding a moral
and pure teacher does not necessarily mean that this teacher is
himself an adept. Usually such a teacher will tell you that he is
less than accomplished. This is not all bad: such honesty is not
destructive of the spiritual life. Such a teacher can at least bring
you up to his level. For many that would be more than they could
hope for in a lifetime.

Walking away from a mistaken choice can be easy or extremely
difficult, depending on the amount of emotional investment. In my
own experience I do not think I have failed but rather that have
learned another lesson which bring me closer to meeting my real
spiritual preceptor.

So by now applying all of the above screens, tests and filters one
effectively eliminate most of the candidates for the
designation "spiritual guide". That means as one is paging through
the various magazines and periodicals which advertise the "spiritual
elect" one can discount most of them. Pretty incredible-but true.
The fact is true spiritual teachers are a rare commodity. Of course,
from the true spiritual master's standpoint, true aspirants are also
rare. And only true aspirants will go to the trouble to qualify
their teachers and to seek out the true teacher. It is a lot of work
and requires a degree of discrimination. Guru Nanak a 15th century
Master maintains:

"Those whose guru is himself blind,
Pointless is their pursuit of Truth;
Without the guidance of the true guru
We cannot find the Name (Truth)"

As one reads the sacred texts of the East, repeatedly the same theme
is argued which tells of the necessity of a guide. The Upanishads
assert:

"Wisdom cannot be taught by one who has not attained wisdom…..The
way to wisdom is through a teacher who has seen wisdom……This sacred
knowledge is not attained by reasoning; but it can be given by a
true teacher."

I guess this wouldn't be complete without mentioning what happened
after my layover in Tokyo which I mentioned in the beginning. That
was 19 years ago. As you might guess I did not give up. Eventually,
I found a teacher who fits every definition above and continues to
do this after being his student for 15 years. I found him through my
lovely wife who is East Indian. He has been her teacher for the last
32 years and she can attest that he has always been consistent and
pure. He is the embodiment of holiness. After 11 years I still find
that he is a true teacher and exceeds all my expectations in this
regard. His name is Santsevi of Bhagalpur, India and he is the true
inspiration for this work.

Jai Guru