Moody Blues Mysticism -- Very Sant Mat

Sant Mat Fellowship:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SantMatFellowship
{"Come out of the circle of time,
and into the circle of love." -- RUMI}


This garden universe vibrates complete.
Some we get a sound so sweet.
Vibrations reach on up to become light,
And then thru gamma, out of sight.
Between the eyes and ears there lay,
The sounds of colour and the light of a sigh.
And to hear the sun, what a thing to believe.
But it's all around if we could but perceive.
To know ultra-violet, infra-red and X-rays,
Beauty to find in so many ways.
Two notes of the chord, that's our fluoroscope.
But to reach the chord is our lifes hope.
And to name the chord is important to some.
So they give a word, and the word is OM.
("The Word", Moody Blues, album: In Search of the Lost Chord)


The rain is on the roof
Hurry high butterfly
As clouds roll past my head
I know why the skys all cry
OM, OM, Heaven, OM

The Earth turns slowly round
Far away the distant sound
Is with us everyday
Can you hear what it say
OM, OM, Heaven, OM

The rain is on the roof
Hurry high butterfly
As clouds roll past my head
I know why the skys all cry
OM, OM, Heaven, OM
("OM", Moody Blues, album: In Search of the Lost Chord)

Part 1

Now you know that you are real,
Show your friends that you and me
Belong to the same world,
Turned on to the same word,
Have you heard?

Now you know that you are free,
Living all your life at ease.
Each day has its always,
A look down life's hallways, doorways,
To lead you there.

[The Voyage]

Part 2

Now you know how nice it feels,
Scatter good seed in the fields.
Life's ours for the making,
Eternity's waiting, waiting,
For you and me.

Now you know that you are real,
Show your friends that you and me
Belong to the same world,
Turned on to the same word,

Have you heard?
Have you heard?
Have you heard?
Have you heard?
Have you heard?

("Have you heard", Moody Blues,
album: On the Threshold of a Dream)

Book List: Recommended Kabir Reading, Also Websites, Ahimsa Prayer, Online Books

Sant Mat Fellowship:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SantMatFellowship
{"Come out of the
circle of time,
and into the circle of love." -- RUMI}


Free book online, Songs of Kabir,
Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
100 Mystic-Poems of Guru Kabir:
http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/sok/index.htm

Anurag Sagar (Ocean of Love) online, Sant Dharam Das's
Gospel of
Kabir and Story of Creation, available online as PDF
files:
http://spiritualawakeningradio.com/anurag.html

Kabir at Yahoo Groups

Since there are many books of SatGuru Kabir and souls
interested in Kabir poetry (Sant Mat, Radhaswami,
Kabir Panth, Sikh, etc...) at yahoo groups there is a
Kabir group specializing in Kabir and related
writings:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/KABIR

KABIR

Under "KABIR" I have lots of links to Kabir websites
on my links page:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SantMatFellowship/links

Recommend Books on Kabir:

. "The Bijak of Guru Kabir,"
Volume One (Ramainis),
Volume Two (Shabdas),
Bijak translation and commentary by Dr. Jagessar Das,
The Kabir Association of Canada, Surry, BC:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SantMatFellowship/message/1979

Kabir Satsang's Canada Website:
http://www.kabir.ca 

. "Lord Kabir," Sharan Mahotra, SK Publications, 4S
175 Naperville Rd, Naperville, IL 60563;

. "A Weaver Named Kabir," Charlotte Vaudeville, Oxford
University Press;

. "Kabir Sakhi - Spiritual Gems of Kabir," Jagdish Das
Shastri, Kabir Association;

. "The Kabir Book," Robert Bly, Beacon Press;

. "Songs of Kabir from the Adi Granth," Nirmal Das,
SUNY Press, NY;

. "Songs of Kabir", Rabindranath Tagore, Samuel Weiser
Books; NOTE: Songs of Kabir by Tagore is now online:
http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/sok/index.htm

. "Praises to a Formless God," David Lorenzen, SUNY
Press, NY

. "Kabir - The Weaver of God's Name," Radha Soami
Books,
. Also, "Kabir the Great Mystic", both from RS Books.
In
addition to these two Kabir books, RS Books publishes
many great books in the Mystics of the East Series
(Tukaram, Dadu, Nanak, Kabir, Namdev, Mirabai, Hazrat
Sultan Bahu, Bullah Shah, Ravidas, Dariya Sahib, Tulsi
Sahib). These books come from India and are only 2-5
each! They also publish two books of Julian P.
Johnson: The Path of the Masters, and, With A Great
Master in India. Best bargen on earth for hardcover,
great books. For a RS book list, write:

Science of the Soul Study Center
Attn: RS BOOKS
4115 Gillespie Street,
Fayetteville, NC 28306

If you're near the West Coast, OR outside the US,
write:

Science of the Soul Study Center
Attn: RS BOOKS
BAV Department Petaluma
2415 East Washington Street
Petaluma, CA
94954-3945

. "Says Kabir, A collection of One Hundred and Ten
Poems of Kabir"
Sushila Mahajan, Deep & Deep Publications, New Delhi;

. "Encyclopaedia of Saints of India: Kabir"
(Volume II in the Series),
Criterion Publications, New Delhi;


Nataraj Books is a great source for Kabir books from
India:
Nataraj Books -- Many rare books from India!
http://users.erols.com/nataraj/HOME.html


Chart of the Inner Regions/Subtle Bodies Connected
with each of the Heavens:
http://www.spiritualawakeningradio.com/chart.pdf


Ahimsa Prayer

The prayer below is called the "Prarthana-panchak se"
by Ramesvarananda Saheb, a Guru in the lineage of
Kabir. It was translated in David Lorenzen's, Praises
to a Formless God, SUNY Press, NY, a great book
featuring various works attributed to Sant Kabir and
others in Kabir Panth.

O Gurudev, give me peace, Give
worthy feelings, worthy intelligence.
Give mutual cooperation.
Give purity to my heart.
Let there be pure feelings in my mind.
Let there be pure conduct by my body.
May my speech be free of falsity and slander.
May the sentiment of devotion increase.

May my thoughts not be agitated
by the ripening of innate karma.
May my body and mind be healthy,
may my worship be free of obstacles.
May I remain in the presence of Saints
and be filled with the sentiment of devotion.
May I swim across the ocean of samsara, the ocean
filled with passion, hate, change and fear.

Let there be neglect for wicked persons
and compassion for the destitute,
Happiness among those of good conduct
and friendship with good people.
May buffoonery cease and may we delight
in the words that lead across samsara.
May we be merry in the study of wisdom;
may we keep our minds under control.

May we have hope of refuge with the Satguru,
may we have no fear of lust and other vices.
May we ever yearn for self-awakening
and have faith the the words of revelation.
May the darkness of ignorance be destroyed;
may the lamp of knowledge be lit.
May the law of death be forgotten,
and immortality be expanded.

May there be no harm done to living beings
through my words or my actions.
May I never feel the least attachment
to the objects of my senses.
May there always be happiness
and the absence of desire.
May there be an end to the power of samsara,
and a beginning to the knowledge of God.


Hearing the Radio Program Spiritual Awakening Online

The program is heard online several times each week.
The Current Broadcast Schedule section of my website
has times and links to stations online:
http://www.SpiritualAwakeningRadio.com


Recommended Websites

KABIR PANTH: KABIR ASSOCIATION OF CANADA: kabir.ca:
http://www.kabir.ca

Kabir at Yahoo Groups:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/KABIR
   
KABIR WEBSITE: A Great Site: Songs of Kabir,
Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
100 Mystic-Poems of Guru Kabir:
http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/sok/index.htm 
   
KABIR WEBSITE: ANURAG SAGAR:
http://spiritualawakeningradio.com/anurag.html
   
KABIR WEBSITE: Kabir Ashram.org:
http://www.kabirashram.org 
  
KABIR WEBSITE: Kabir Chawra Math on Varanasi
Kabir Bhavan.com:
http://www.kabirbhavan.com 
   
KABIR WEBSITE: Kabir Web:
http://www.members.shaw.ca/kabirweb 
    
KABIR WEBSITE: Puan Brahm Satapurush Sahib Kabir Ji:
Knowlege about Satapush Kabir Saheb Ji:
http://www.jagatgururampalji.org 
   
KABIR WEBSITE: Sahebkabir:
http://www.geocities.com/sahebkabir
    
KABIR WEBSITE: Shri Kabir Counsel:
http://www.geocities.com/sahebkabir/?200612 
   
KABIR WEBSITE: Songs of Kabir, Translated by
Rabindranath Tagore
http://www.upanishad.org/kabir/kabir.htm 
   
KABIR WEBSITE: boloji.com:
http://www.boloji.com/kabir/index.htm 
   
KABIR WEBSITE: colostate.edu:
http://www.cs.colostate.edu/~malaiya/kabir.html 
    
KABIR WEBSITE: indranet.com:
http://www.indranet.com/potpourri/poetry/kabir/kabir.html
 
KABIR WEBSITE: kabirweb.com:
http://www.kabirweb.com/intro.htm 
   
KABIR WEBSITE: world_civ_reader:
http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~wldciv/world_civ_reader/world_civ_reader_2/k
abir.html
   
KABIR: Ajeetpraimsingh.com:
http://www.ajeetpraimsingh.com/kabir.htm 
 
KABIR: Dabase.net:
http://www.dabase.net/kabir.htm  
 
KABIR: REAL AUDIO, MP3's:
http://keertan.waheguroo.com/?Query=kabir&swhat=0 
 
KABIR: Songs of Kabir:
http://www.hinduwebsite.com/sacredscripts/other/kabir.htm

This human form has come into your possession. It is your opportunity to realize the One who sustains the universe.

They alone are truly alive,
whose minds are filled with the Lord.
O Nanak; no one else is truly alive.

It was for the sake of the God-conscious beings
that our True Lord created this earth, and began
this play of birth and death.

It is the mercy of my Satguru that has made me to know the unknown;
I have learned from Him how to
walk without feet,
to see without eyes,
to hear without ears,
to drink without mouth,
to fly without wings.

(Adi Granth, the Sikh Scriptures of India)

Key Teachings of Sant Mat Mysticism -- The Path of the Masters

By James Bean

Copyright September 2006

1. A strong feeling of love for God, the Ocean of Love and Compassion. Sant Mat is a Monotheistic path in the bhakti tradition;

2. The need for living Saints and Mystics. Only living mystics teach mysticism. Guidance about meditation practice and mystical states are the first thing to disappear in a religion when the Satgurus/Apostles/Mystics die off. Each branch of Sant Mat is a living spiritual community headed by a Satguru, a living teacher. If there could be Essene teachers, Mahavera, Jesus and the Apostles, Rumi, Hafiz, Nanak, Kabir, Meister Eckhart in the past, then we can have living teachers now as well.

3. We do not have a soul, we ARE a soul that has a body. The soul is a being above time. Truth be told, we are free from time, and the "cruel hand of fate." The soul is already in heaven (Sat Lok) but does not know it, is not aware of itself. It thinks the five-sense virtual reality TV it is watching is the only reality. The soul is above the stars and need not be oppressed by negative forces of the physical universe, astral or mental regions that always seek to keep us tethered and tell us we don't have enough "time" for spiritual pursuits. The red pill or the blue?

Human beings can directly access the spiritual realm (i.e. "Kingdom of God within") right now in the present moment. We need not wait for "prophecies" to be fulfilled years into the future, dates on calendars to come round, second comings, or the end of the world to happen first. Rumi says, "Many have waited for years around that door, but tomorrow never comes. The Sufi is the Child of the Present Moment."

If illusion (time, kal, demiurge, false beliefs or lower mental creations of universal mind) can no longer talk us out of our spiritual quest, saying "we are not worthy," it is not possible", "only in another lifetime" or "after this prophecy gets fulfilled", "only after I get old", etc... -- if all the self-limiting beliefs fall away, then we are ready to begin.

Space is not the final frontier. Well....Inner Space is perhaps. :)

The soul has eyes (nirat) and ears (surat). We can see and hear spiritually, access the inner regions. It's only a matter of proper guidance by a teacher who is already experiencing these states and can communicate this to others. It's also a matter of concentration in meditation practice, reaching the third eye center, which is the beginning of the Inward Journey. The term soul travel is a bit of a misnomer. It is really our attention or awareness that travels, temporarily during meditation practice, as it learns to explore Inner Space, the other "rooms of the Interior Castle".

God, though described as "Unseen", set in motion this great multiverse of dimensions of consciousness by projecting "the Word", also called: AUM, TAO, Shabda, Nada, Song of the Creator, Christ, Logos, Saunt-e Sarmad, Harmony of All Harmonies, Music of the Spheres, Anhad Shabd, Naam, etc.... Each world religion has a name for this Positive Power that vibrated all things into existence "In the Beginning."

This Life-stream/Light-stream/Sound-stream of creation is a river or current of energy that can be seen as inner Light, and heard as inner Sound. It can carry us back to the Source, the Ocean of Love. The axiom is, "We become what we see" (quote from the Gita) What we focus our attention (surat) upon, we become one with that. If we focus the attention (surat) of our soul upon the inner Light and Sound (Shabd) of God, we can experience union (yoga) with God (Surat Shabd Yoga) The Greek mystics have called this "Theosis" and "Divinization", being united to God by contemplating It's divine Light. Initiates of Sant Mat meditation practice union with God by becoming one with the inner Light, as well as the mystic Sound. Masters and yogis have always reported that Sound is much more effective than Light at taming the serpent-mind, making it possible for advanced levels of meditation.

Sant Mat Meditation has several steps:

1. manas japa, simran, mantra, zikhr, repeating names of God to still the mind and begin meditation;

2. dhyan, visualizing the form of one's Ideal (isht), a form of God or one's SatGuru;

Those first two techniques are steps that prepare one, make one receptive to inner Light and Sound...

3. the Yoga of Light....when we reach the third eye center we will begin to see Light in the darkness, lights of various colors, inner stars, suns, moons, or other visions of Light. "If thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of Light." This is the beginning of Gnosis, inner Knowing.

4. the Yoga of Sound....a inner astral bell sound, a reverberation that keeps on reverberating or tone, humming, ocean waves, flute-like sound, sitar-like sound, veena-like sound, or other mystic sounds. This is the Heavenly Voice of the Creator speaking softly in the center of our being calling us Home.

Up the tunnel beyond the portal of the third eye and the crown chakra of the thousand petaled lotus are several stages one passes through, crooked tunnel, dark voids, Whirlpool Cave or vortex, other realms as well, eventually reaching bright light like a million noonday suns, a realm or stage where the soul knows itself. Beyond that is a realm where the soul can try out the experience of merging back into God and then reverting back to individuality again. The drop tries out merging into the Ocean at the level known as Agam Lok, the Seventh Heaven. There is free will and choice even at that level, what the Kabbalists call "Nearness", meaning nearness to God. And finally......

5. There is a State beyond Light and Sound in the Eighth Plane known as Anami (Nameless), Anadi (Soundless), Radhaswami (Lord of the Soul), and the Ocean of Love and All-consciousness (Anurag Sagar). This is God, Nonduality, Ultimate Reality.

All of these holy spiritual practices are to be done with an attitude of love and devotion for the Supreme Being, the Ocean of Love and Compassion -- the Lord of All Souls.

Radhaswami Dayal ki Daya Radhaswami Sahai:
Grant Merciful Radhasoami Thy Grace and Protection.

Swami Ji Maharaj, the great Saint of Agra once said: "The Supreme Being Sat Purush Radhaswami is Omnipotent, Omniscient and Omnipresent. His attributes are Grace, Mercy, Love, Light, Bliss and Peace."

"From one step to another the soul beholds strange things which cannot be described in human language. Every region and everything is utterly beyond words. What beauty and glory! How can I describe them? There is nothing here to convey the idea. I am helpless...."

"Love plays the supreme part. It is all love."

"So says Radhaswami."

My Most Favorite Spiritual Quote of All-time, from Yogani Mata Ji, The Power of Love

The following is my most favorite quote about the spiritual journey, especially the last part: How can one sit so still, repeat only holy names and think of God constantly? "By falling in love," Mataji answered serenely. "Because when one is truly in love nothing but the Beloved can enter one's mind. So the secret of Surat Shabd Yoga and of mysticism," she goaded, "is not necessarily practice and more practice, but love. To be so devoted to one's Lord that nothing can stand in the way -- this and nothing else is the truth of Sant Mat". These paragraphs below are from Yogani Mata Ji. She is a Radhaswami Guru from India. The photo of her was taken in Hoshiarpur, India during the 1980's when she was in her 20s.

Naamaste, Radhasoami,

James


Mataji exuded a sense of joy and happiness. We talked for more than three hours about a variety of subjects, but I was most intrigued with Mataji's experiences on the inner spiritual planes. I asked her what it was like to leave the body. Mataji responded with a beautiful description of 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. To do this, she said, one first must be initiated by a genuine mystic who has gained access to the higher realms. The practice itself, although it may take years to master, sounds relatively simple. The body should be kept perfectly still with one particular posture held for at least three hours. One may choose a cross-legged position (like the yogis in the lotus pose) or a more comfortable, relaxed position in a chair. Keeping the back erect and the mind alert, one continuously repeats God's name as given by his/her guru. This simran, as Mataji termed it, should be done with one's attention centered behind closed eyes.

Coupled with this physical stillness and ceaseless repetition of God's name [simran practice], the next step is to contemplate the Light within. At first, Mataji 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 intact and allowing the Light to draw the soul inward. The third and most important step, Mataji 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. On the journey within, however, the soul must be guided by a true master so as not to be detained in any of the lower illusory regions. According to Mataji, what near-death patients experience is only the beginning of a vast sojourn into great universes of Light, love and beauty.

Personally I was overcome with the profundity of Mataji's account. Although it seemed plausible, especially given the findings of near-death patients who have been resuscitated, the soul's journey in the beginning stages appeared too difficult. How can one sit so still, repeat only holy names and think of God constantly? "By falling in love," Mataji answered serenely. "Because when one is truly in love nothing but the Beloved can enter one's mind. So the secret of Surat Shabd Yoga and of mysticism," she goaded, "is not necessarily practice and more practice, but love. To be so devoted to one's Lord that nothing can stand in the way-this and nothing else is the truth of Sant Mat," Mataji stressed.... (Enchanted Land)

The Three Levels of Satsang, by ShriSantSevi

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 and *clear* spiritual guidance, and reunite with the Supreme Lord of Love.

Naam-aste',

***James***

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.

From Prem Prakesh (Light of Love):

 

Think of your True Home now.

 

Receive initiation from the Guru in the true secrets of Shabd.

 

Practise the modes of Surat Shabd Yoga with love and affection.

 

Regularly practice Surat Shabd Yoga. Contemplate the Guru's form.
Behold beautiful scenes and spectacles within.

 

When Radhaswami Dayal [the Merciful Lord of the Soul] is pleased to shower His grace, He will elevate your soul along the Current of Shabd. You will then ascend to your True Home.

 

Listen to the reverberations of Anhad Shabd within you.

 

Radhasoami in His grace and mercy will take you across.

 

Make His holy feet your prop and support.

 

From Prem Tarang (Ripples of Love):

 

My Beloved Himself is the most munificent Radhaswami. I sacrifice
myself at His holy feet.

 

Radhasoami, in His grace, has taken me in His arms. He has
extricated me from Kal's net.

 

Imparting to me the knowledge of Shabd, He has elevated my Surat to
higher regions.

 

I heard the sounds of the Bell and the Conch.

 

I saw the Red Sun and then beheld the Moon. I heard the melodious
sounds of the Flute and the Harp. I was delighted to touch the Holy
Feet of Radhasoami. I have now reached the Highest Abode.

 

-- Huzur Maharaj,
   Prem Bani Radhasoami,
   Volume III

 

Spiritual Elixir
Book Two,
By Sant Kirpal Singh
Page 52
Sawan Ashram
1967


Q. Please explain the importance of Initiation.

A. Initiation by a perfect living master assures an escort in unknown realms by one who is himself a frequent traveller to those regions. He knows the presiding deities or powers of the planes, conducts the spirit step by step, counsels at every turn and twist of the Path, cautions against lurking dangers at each place, explaining in detail all that one desires to know. He is a teacher on all levels of existence: a guru on the earth-plane, a Guru Dev (Astral Radiant Form) in the Astral Worlds and a Satguru in the purely Spiritual Regions. When everyone fails in this very life, at one stage or another, his long and strong arm is always there to help us, both when we are here and we quit the earth plane. He pilots the spirit into the Beyond and stands by it, even before the judgement seat of God.

Kabir Book of Satsang Prayers -- Selections

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

Book of Prayers (Satsang Book used in Satsangs, Kabir Panth):
http://www.members.shaw.ca/kabirweb/bookofPrayers.htm

Selections

prabhat-sandhya sakhi

(morning-evening sakhi - prayer)


bando guru tau charan ko, mangu nirmal buddhi;

kal jal ka bhai bahu, lije mori shuddhi;

kal phasayo jal me, hari gyan aru dhyan;

tau kripa binu satguru, kaise pawu gyan;


    Dear Guruji, I bow at your lotus feet and ask for pure discriminative spiritual knowledge. In this world there is great fear of death. Please give me purity of intellect so that I may overcome this fear. Time and circumstances have entangled me in worldly affairs, and cheated me from knowledge of God and meditation. Without your grace how can I gain this knowledge?

adi purush avichal tuhi, chala chali sansar;

ajar nam prabhu tumahi ho, adhi byadhi gun jar;

tum bin kaise hoi ho, chinta rahit achint;

amar padarath dijiye, amar nam nischint;

    O Master! You are from the very beginning and are changeless, but this world is ever   changing. Lord, you alone are not subject to aging; you are eternal. I am subject to mental and physical sufferings. Without you, how can I remain free of cares? Please give me your eternal blessings so that I may remain eternally free of cares.


kal ka nagar vinash hai, kshan me jai nasai

guru purush kripa karai, sar padarath pai;

jate bhow bandhan kate, dijo gyan munindra;

satya sukrit krip karo, kato karm ke band;


    This world is a city bound by time, and will vanish in no time. If you grant me your mercy, then I will certainly attain imperishable Reality. O Enlightened One! Give me such knowledge that I may overcome the bondage of re-incarnation. Oh Lord of Truth and Nobility! Grant me your mercy, and cast away the bindings of my karmas.

 
karunamai karuna kari, dijai satya sukam;

bandat how tau charan prabhu, asha guru satnam;

tum data ham mangata, satya kabir dayal;

parakh deya badha haro, meto yam ko jal;


    O Compassionate One! Have compassion for me. Grant me Truth and noble actions. O Lord, I bow at your lotus feet and place my hope in your eternal name. You are the giver and I am the beggar. O merciful Sat Kabir! Give me spiritual knowledge and remove all my sufferings. Remove the noose of Yama, the God of death.


kisi kam ka hu nahi, rahit gyan aru dhyan;

satya kabir so kripa kari, dije parakh dhyan;

ko hamko jagat yaha, ranchak jano bheo;

satya kabir dukh pari haru, pawo atam seo;


    I am of no value, and am devoid of knowledge and meditation. O Sat Kabir! Shower your grace on me and give me discriminative intelligence and meditation. Who am I? What is this world? I do not know the secret. O Sat Kabir! Remove this mental anguish so that I may realize my true soul.


madhyan gayatri (mid day gayatri)
achint purush hirambar chhaya, nad bindu doi karta aya;
yama so jita lok pathaya, surati snehi hans kahaya;
achint purush ko gayatri, dinh kabir batai;
nis din sumiran jo karai, karam bharam mit jai.

The Incomprehensible God is present every where, and Nad Bind (Sound meditation) is the way to realize Him.

The soul overcomes Yama and becoming liberated, goes to Satlok. 

Kabir has explained this gayatri, and whoever recites it always, will be free of karmas and doubts

    O devotee! Offer salutation and service at the feet of the guru, as this is the root and flower of devotion everywhere.

Kabir instructed Dharam Dass that doing so would remove all your difficult problems and give you peace.

    O Satguru, you have taught that for our eternal joy and welfare, and for the removal of all obstacles, there is no greater boon than satnam - the eternal name of God. You have also taught that worship of the guru will destroy countless obstacles. Thus the saints always meditate on the guru prior to all activities.

dhyan mulam guror murti, puja mulam guro padam;

mantra mulam guror vakyam, moksh mulam guro kripa.

    The root of meditation is the guru, and the root of worship is his feet;

The root of all mantras is the guru’s teaching, and the root of liberation is his grace.


O Lord and Satguru, the remover of bondage, please give me divine knowledge.


                                    dhun (chants)


1. puran brahm daya nidhi saheb, satya sukrit satyanam japo

       The perfect Brahm (God) is the ocean of mercy; recite His true and noble name - Satnam


2. satyanam satyanam satyanam bol, ramnam ramnam ramnam bol

    Recite satyanam, satyanam, satyanam, and recite Ramnam, Ramnam, Ramnam.


3. satyanam satyanam soham guru ram--

Recite satyanam the true name of God residing within as the soul.


   soham hansa satguru sharanam, sat sat soham kalimal haranam

The liberated soul finds refuge in Satguru, and realizing the Self, becomes sinless.


      satnam kirtan (recite Satnam - the Eternal Name)


satya nam satya nam satya nam kahiye,

jahi vidhi rakhe saheb tahi vidhi rahiye--ch.

   Recite satyanam, satyanam, satyanam, and be happy in living as God ordains.


mukh me ho satyanam, sant sewa hath me,

nahi akela tu hai pyare, saheb tere sath me;

vidhi ka vidhan jan, hani labh sahiye --


    Let satyanam be on your lips and service to the saints in your hands. Realize that you are not alone, but God is with you. Know that it is God’s law operating, and accept gain or loss equally.

 
satya purush chowthe pad basa, santan ka waha sada niwasa,

so ghar darsaya guru pure, bin baje tahan achraj ture--

    God dwells in the fourth state (superconscious), and that is where the liberated saints always dwell.

The perfect guru has shown that abode where, without musical instruments, the miraculous music resounds.

 
age alakh purush darbara, dekha jaye surat se nyara,

tis par agam lok ek nyara, sant surati koi karat vichara--

    Ahead is the invisible God’s royal court that can be seen in unique meditation.

There is the unfathomable and marvelous abode that saints in meditation can contemplate.
 

tahan se darse atal atari, adbhut satguru mahal sawari,

surat hui sat karman gami, purush anami jai samani--

    From there you will see the immovable palace, where the immortal satguru dwells.

When your karmas and meditation harmonize, then you will merge with the Nameless God

The Edge of the Visible Universe:
"Hubble Ultra Deep Field".
The technique is to point the
Hubble in a "blank" region of the sky
where there are few nearby stars
and galaxies to block the view of
that which lies beyond. The lights
here are not stars. They are some
of the most distant galaxies seen
thus far.


Extraterrestrial Radio Signals

Someone from NASA once sent me a tape
of pulsar sounds heard by a radio telescope.
Pulsars, those fast-rotating stars, sound a
little like African drumming.

The FM or TV static hiss one hears between
stations is actually the sound of the big bang,
the electromagnetic background radiation of
space.

I have that NASA Voyager Space Sounds Series
of CDs from the Brain Mind Research label:
Miranda (a moon of Neptune),
Rings of Uranus (which do have a Tibetan
bowl-like sound along with the usual
magnetic wind sounds that characterize
these recordings), Sounds of the Earth I
and II, Jupiter, etc... Most impressive
examples of the Music of the Spheres.

The same approach of converting
magnetic waves into audible sound
waves could be applied to objects all
over the cosmos. Given the vastness of
space and vastness of infinite possibilities,
the SETI scientists should do more with
this as it could be another avenue of
listening for signs of intelligence along
some other band of frequencies.  Who
knows what could be heard. Stranger
than fiction, perhaps there is a creative
ET equivalent of a "Bach" somewhere
out there part of a Type One Civilization
into the art of manipulating such natural
sounds into a cosmic classical music.

James

Without a Master
All scriptures are like the whispering of ghosts.
-- Tukarama

The one who has purity of character, who practices
diligently the Yoga of Sound, and who can explain
*clearly* Sant Mat (all the Teachings of the Masters
with nothing missing), can be accepted and trusted
as Satguru/Teacher. -- Maharishi Mehi

Going Within

A true Master unites us with God
And shows all within the body.
Within the body is the Creator.
And within the body is Onkar
[Onkar/OMkar: inner Sound
at the second region known as Trikuti]
The sky is within the body, and close by
Is the earth within the body.
Within the body are the sun and
the moon,
And the bagpipe is played within the body.

All cosmic abodes were shown to me
within the body, proclaimeth Dadu.
None can see them without dedication
to Guru through thought, word and deed.

The body is the storehouse of celestial
centers.
Wondrous plays are going on within.
Let no one make a mistake. Take
the company of the Satguru, sayeth Dadu.

The Creator is within the body.
That treasure thou knowest not.
Find the true lover of Guru,
And all will be found within the body.

Within the body cultivate gladness,
And within it develop affection.
Within the body find the Nectar of Love.
This is what a true lover of Guru does,
sayeth Dadu. 

Inner worship alone is the true worship. It is the only
effective means of seeing God face to face.

After entering within, let one, 0 Dadu,
bolt the doors of the house.
Let one, 0 Dadu, serve the Lord at the Door of Eternity.
God is within the self,
His worship alone is to be done.

Search thou for the Beloved close to the place
Wherefrom the Sound emerges, and thou
shalt find Him, sayeth Dadu.
There is solitude there, and there is luster of Light.

God is within the self;
He is close to the worshiper.
But leaving Him aside,
men serve external constructions,
lamenteth Dadu.

This is the mosque, this is the temple,
So hath the Master shown.
The service and salutation are performed
within.

-- Dadu,
   Encyclopedia of Saints of India, Volume 25:
   Sant Dadu Dayal
   Criterion Publications
   New Delhi

The Yoga of Sound (Nadan-u-sandhana)

Meditation Sangat:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MeditationSangat
Sant Mat Fellowship:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SantMatFellowship
{The one who has purity of character,
who practices diligently the Yoga of Sound,
and who can explain *clearly* Sant Mat
(the complete Path of the Masters with nothing missing),
can be accepted and trusted as Satguru/Teacher.}

The Yoga of Sound (Nadan-u-sandhana)
"The Harmony of All Religions",
from Chapter Seven: "Santmat",

The Yoga of Sound is the highest and final practice of Sant Mat. In Sufism this is known as sultan-u-la-jakar. By practicing this form of meditation the practitioner realizes the Supreme Lord and becomes united with the Divine.

When the aspirant practices the Yoga of Light he/she leaves the darkness and enters the realm of light. There the soul begins to hear the numerous divine sounds.

There are five inner realms: gross, Subtle, Causal, Supra-causal and Kevalya. There is a specific sound at the center of each realm. These constitute the five central sounds.

With reference to these sounds Kabir Sahab says:

"The five different kinds of sounds reverberate within,
and thirty six kinds of divine melodies are also found within."

Guru Nanak says:

"There resound five kinds of sound."

Maharishi Mehi Paramhans Ji says:

"Five celestial melodies resound within.
Listen to each of these."

[Note: The sounds to listen for are revealed
at the time of Initiation into the meditation practice.]

In fact the sound possesses a quality that attracts the attention of the listener. Every central sound flows from the highest realm downward to the lower realm and then directly connects to the center of that realm. The aspirant enters the process by attending to the sound of the gross realm, centering, and then following that sound as it leads to the realm above, which is the Subtle realm. Upon reaching the Subtle realm, the sound of the Causal realm is experienced. This sound will eventually draw the practitioner from the Subtle to the Causal realm. And so the aspirant proceeds until reaching the highest realm, progressively catching increasingly subtle and powerful inner sounds in order to proceed to the realm immediately higher.

In the final stages of this practice, the aspirant goes beyond the veil of material creation and reaches the realm of Kevalya. This is where the soul comes to experience the Divine. But even in this realm there is a thin veil, and complete union with the Divine is not yet possible. Upon acquiring the final essential sound in Kevalya, the soul ascends upward to the Absolute Soundless State. There the soul becomes one with the Divine.

Inner Guidance: The Silence Speaks Volumes -- Kirpal Singh

There is a cardinal need for developing inner receptivity. The Master-Power,
as you all know, is not confined to any particular place. It is working in and
around you. You have but to turn your face towards Him inwardly to get the
required help and guidance wherever necessary. Learn to sit still and be
mentally still, and the silence thus generated with be more vocal than words
spoken and written; and you will have an instantaneous solution not only to
your own personal problems but to the problems of others as well.

-- Master Kirpal Singh, The Way of the Saints, Sant Bani Press

Other passages on silence and inner guidance

Be grateful to the Maker who gave you this human birth, wherein you can
realize Him. It is thy turn to meet Him, through the silence of the heart --
through rising above all faculties.


God is the Ocean of utmost and restful silence. So long as we cannot have
this restful silence within us, the soul cannot listen to the Voice of silence
arising out of the greatest depths of Silence. By following that Voice we
can reach the source and fountainhead of the Great Silence called God
and be blessed forever.


In silence the heart illumines; veil after veil is removed. In the heart shines
the Light, and the very silence becomes vocal giving vent to the Music of
the Spheres reverberating in all creation.


The human body is the temple of God. He is waiting there for you. That is
why I ask you to look within, with a longing in your heart and silence in
your soul. God will reveal himself to you. You will find him - no, see him.

-- Master Kirpal Singh



Kirpal On The Rock, at the Ashram in New Hampshire

The Gnostic Message of the Gospel of Thomas Revealed


The Gnostic Mysticism of the Gospel of Thomas Revealed
http://www.caveatpress.com/product.asp?specific=jnoqiri8

A Course In Gnostic Miracles

Below is a most impressive and eloquent presentation of the Gnostic message of the Gospel of Thomas. This is by Lynn Bauman, from her new book about Thomas, The Gospel of Thomas -- Wisdom of the Twin, White Cloud Press: http://www.caveatpress.com
I am very impressed with this new translation and meditation upon "the secret sayings Yeshua, the Living Master spoke that Didymos Judas Thomas (the Twin) wrote down".

Namaste',

James

Lynn Bauman: The visionary topography in Thomas could best be defined by the relationship between time and eternity, or the finite and the Infinite---also described as the relationship between heaven and earth. The juxtaposition of these two realms situates a third realm, namely the kingdom, from whose reality we are said to spring prior to our physical arising. It is territory that can only be known now through search and the return journey of personal participation. The kingdom exists as a sacred geography between the Alpha and the Omega of temporality. In this in-between land, the Kingdom of God unfolds at the juncture where time and eternity meet. It is constituted by multiple domains and dimensions that link the cosmos together in a totality called "the All" (ta panta). What is also crucial for our understanding is to know that Jesus understands this realm also to exist within. It is an inner domain as well in which a new, transcendent reality unfolds.

INNER ALIGNMENT

The Gospel of Thomas is perfectly aligned to this realm, which is perhaps best expressed as a parallel universe transcendent to, but inclusive of, the temporal and spatial order that we inhabit as well as the spiritual dimensions that dwell within us. This topography, therefore, is no mere abstraction. It is a specific region (topos) composed of non-local and non-temporal coordinates-in short, a landscape whose dimensions and domains stretch as an isthmus between the chasm of Ultimate Reality and temporality, through which all must pass on their pilgrimage of exile and return. Regardless of whether Thomas heard and faithfully transmitted this wisdom directly from Jesus, an understanding of its cosmological contours is determinative for a comprehensive understanding of the text. Without orientation to its topography and unique angle of vision, Thomas makes little sense. With it,. however, the text is saturated with meaning.

In Thomas Jesus speaks from a timeless, universal place of seeing-from a perception that calls humanity to awaken to its own inner reality. He calls each of us to the light within all things that blazed forth at the beginning from the Father's presence before the soul we are, created outside of time, first donned the body's shirt and fell into the density of space-time---the shadow of God's love. And yet it is here in space and time, within the depths of the cosmos, that we can come to know the true Self, and the truth about ourselves. It is here we can awaken, stand up on our own feet and become a unified being---no longer two but one---aligned to and a participant in the deep magnetic axis of Ultimate Reality conjoined to the inner spiritual axis of the human heart and consciousness.

Working deep in the river of the world's events, Jesus as Awakener to what is hidden in the wisdom-field of the heart appears as the Voice of that Presence that has surrounded us and been seeking us from the beginnings of our terrestrial exile. He will not rest until the cosmos is set ablaze with fire and humanity is released into the Light, alive with the pain of the longing for return. For we have come from a country, a kingdom beyond this universe, the cosmos. And yet knowledge of our origins has been stolen from us. We believe we are one thing, but we are in truth another. We search the world for satisfaction to the hunger and thirst within, knocking on the outer doors of material and social reality for the answer, when in truth the answer lies buried, concealed within.

Fire and light as witness to this Reality, eventually makes our longing strong enough to bring us at last to hear the voice of the clarifying Presence whose task it is to help us discover the treasure hidden in the heart. And when we find it, the truth of it, and the truth about ourselves, we slip free of the bindings that hold us and stand naked before the One whose Presence floods us with the original light. At that moment we can begin to discern the Face of the One whose love and compassion has always known us and pursued us across the fierce landscape of our exile. As we surrender to this Guide, hearing and obeying his voice, we transcend ourselves and come to know this as the meaning behind all things and of our own existence. At the end (which is also the beginning), the hidden treasure is finally known "on earth as it is in heaven, and the veil dividing heaven and earth, Creator and creature, Knower and known is stripped away and we are revealed for who we truly are.

The Spiritual Experience One Has In The Beginning Is Not Enough

Radhasoami Reality:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Radhasoami-Reality
{Radhaswami Dayal ki Daya Radhaswami Sahai:
"Grant Merciful Radhasoami Thy Grace and Protection"}

The spiritual experience one may have in the practices of Simran, Dhyan and Bhajan in the beginning should not be taken as full and complete. Rather, one should remain hopeful of getting more and more of internal realization. If one has no internal realization at all, then it is book knowledge. It is knowledge theoretical, but not realization; such a one is given to learning but not devoted to practices. As one makes headway in the meditation practices, one will go on having ever-new experiences. It is with a definite purpose that the whole of the Secrets have not been revealed in the Banis. As one advances internally, the Secrets will unfold themselves to one automatically, stage by stage. A partial realization is not enough. One should always remain hopeful of getting more and more realization.

-- Maharaj Saheb
   Discourses

Happy Birthday Beloved Jalaluddin Rumi


Oh God
Let all lovers be content.
Give them happy endings.
Let thier lives be celebrations.
Let their hearts dance in the fire of your love.

My sweetheart,
You have aroused my passion
Your touch has filled me with desire
I am no longer separate from you
These are precious moments
I beseech you
Don't let me wait...
(rumi)


Today is the day of your birthday, may Allah bless you with a thousand blessings, grant you peace in your heart and remember me.

You have opened up my inner being and unlocked my heart of Love. Without your love, i would be lost in this world and to even think of a life without your beauty, makes me speechless with a tear to my eye. I'm grateful each day for the life that you have shown me, may our Beloved (peace be upon him) be pleased with you and Allah to shower you with many blessings and most importantly, with Love.

Rumi, my realisation of Love.

"Rumi's words are beautiful, touching and reassuring -- a reflection of his belief in the mystical branch of Islam called Sufism, which emphasizes a universal connection to God. " Johnathan Curiel, San Francisco Journalist

"There is only one Maulana in Turkey - Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi, known as one of the greatest mystic poets of Islam." Mansoor Akbar Kundi

"It was the richness of this music and poetry that had drawn me to examine the philosophy behind Sufism. Defining it is difficult. One dervish told me, "That's like trying to describe the colour red." One version is that the Sufis, or dervishes, are simply the mystics of Islam, but many practitioners feel Sufism approaches the core of all religions." Peter Culshaw, The Guardian Newspaper

"Rumi is, in fact, one of the bestselling poets in American today...He's a favorite of coffee shop poetry readings, peace activists and artists." Mary Louise Schumacher, Journal Sentinel.

"Jelaluddin Rumi deserves to be the envy of every poet. His latest book,"The Essential Rumi" (Harper San Francisco), sold 110,000 copies in three years, and he has a couple of dozen others that are doing well. None of itwas his idea. He's been dead for more than 700 years." Los Angeles Times

"Rumi is the voice of unconditional love." Kabir Helminski