Gaia Community: SantMat_Mystic_(James)'s Blog

Hebrew Christianity and the Vegetarian Diet - CLICK TO LISTEN

http://SantMat.gaia.com — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 21:18:28 GMT

Click to Listen to: "Hebrew Christianity and the Vegetarian Diet" -- on the Jesus Movement, Ebionites, Elkasites, and Gnostics -- This Week's Edition of Spiritual Awakening Radio:

http://view.liveindexer.com/ASXGenerator.aspx?mediaSKU=00AlDL7lT7jfDhw5rExk0w%3d%3d

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All for the Love of Wisdom and Radio,
James
http://www.SpiritualAwakeningRadio.com

Tags: james bean, spiritual awakening radio, vegetarian diet, jesus movement, ebionites, elkasites, gnostics, talk radio, podcast

The Mark of Recognition of a Sant Satguru

http://SantMat.gaia.com — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:13:36 GMT

The Mark of Recognition of a Sant Satguru

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

(See notes below for all the mystic-terms used here such as Sat Lok, Shabda Swarup, Shabda Guru, and other words of the Masters.)

From, "Catechism of the Radhasoami Faith" (Prashnottar), by Huzur Maharaj

Q. 39. What is the mark of recognition of a Sant Satguru?

A. 39. The first mark of recognition is that the saints can only be those who have their Abode in Sat Loka and who teach the path of the Shabda (Word, Sound Current) and point out its Secret and who are themselves Shabda Swarup within.

Secondly, when any devotee or a deserving seeker appears before Them, his spirit and mind may of themselves begin to concentrate and get elevated and enjoy the bliss thereof.

Thirdly, Their discourses are very precise, deep and effective and the listener may get satisfied and convinced according to what he deserves and the stage at which he is.

Fourthly, in case anybody begins to have faith in Them without argument, They grant him some internal experience and bliss.

Fifthly, They live according to what They teach.

Sixthly, They take care of Their Satsangis internally and externally.

Mystic-Terms of the Masters --- Notes:

Sant Mat: Teachings of the Saints or Masters; Religion of Sants, Radhaswami Faith; Surat Shabd Yoga,

Sant: (1) Good, virtuous, pious; excellent; steady, respectable, venerable; a pious or venerable person, a saint, (2) Embodiment of Truth. A special and beloved Son of the Supreme Being. One who has access to the purely spiritual regions beyond Brahmand and Par-Brahmand.

SAT: (1) Eternal Truth -- That which really is, entity, existence, essence, the self-existent or universal spirit; reality, fact, truth, essence, cream, marrow, (2) Immutable Truth, (3) Imperishable, Real, Eternal, Changeless, (4) Absolute and Immutable, (5) Sat Purush; True Being,

SatGuru: True and Perfect Spiritual Guide

Sat Lok: True Sphere, Heavenly Region, Above Time, Pure Spirit, Home of the Soul,

Shabda or Shabd: (1) Sound; Voice; Word; Name, (2) A song, a hymn, (3) Prime manifestation; the sound which accompanies the current of energy,(4) Word, Name, internal voice or sound, (5) Shabd is the cause and sustainer of the whole creation, Its force and vitality permeate the whole creation. Its currents are giving life to the body and all sense-organs. It is present within all. He, who meditates and diverts his attention inwards, in accordance with the teachings of Sants, can hear the sound, accompanying that current, and by its contact realise its bliss. (6) The regenerative spiritual current, (7) Force or energy, when it becomes kinetic or active, produces sound, which is called Shabd or Naam or Name, (8) Emanation from the Supreme Being -- God,

Shabda Swarup -- Shabda Guru: Inner Master, natural character or appearance, true countenance or form of the Sant Satguru, Spiritual Form, Holy Form,

Satsangis: One who attends Satsang: associate or follower or disciple of Sant Sat Guru; one who, having full belief and confidence in the Sant Sat Guru and His words is practising Surat Shabd Yoga under His immediate direction, and having traversed some distance is pushing upwards; A Sadhu or Satsangi is he who has traversed some distance and is engaged in the performance of the spiritual practices with love and ardour, and is to get access to Daswan Dwar and Sat Lok. (mostly based upon, The Glossary of the Radhasoami Faith)

Tags: radhasoami, true master, godman, sant satguru, searching for a teacher

There is No Vatican of the Spirit - A Reflection on Impermanence

http://SantMat.gaia.com — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 10:07:53 GMT

There is No Vatican of the Spirit - A Reflection on the Impermanence of Spiritual Movements in a World of Samsara (Changes)
By James Bean

The Savior said, "And there shall be others of those who are outside our number who name themselves bishops and also deacons, as if they have received their authority from God. They bend themselves under the judgment of the leaders. Those people are dry canals." (Apocalypse of Peter, The Nag Hammadi Library in English, online at Gnosis.org)

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

building bigger buildings
with less meditating going on
in the, noisier, bigger buildings;
getting busier without, yet
not getting as far within;
an overall reduction
in the percentage of the population
having inner mystical experiences,
and all in the name of what...........
saving the world by becoming less spiritual? less true to the ideals of the Path?

Life-changing, transformative, inner experience, a close encounter of the God-kind, is what the "world" really needs, not yet more branding, photo ops and marketing campaigns.

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

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

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

There is no permanent Institution or University of Mysticism, but a decline-renewal process, a continuous pattern of Masters leaving older groups, movements, ashrams or real estate, and emerging in new locations to begin again, to reboot, to reset, to renew the mystic-path on Planet Earth, to keep the torch of spirituality burning bright for another generation or two. Spirituality is the Impulse of Life from the Great Life, the Universal Soul -- God -- that we as soul are intertwined with, not golden temples, or idols made of wood and stone. The history of Essenes leaving Jerusalem, John the Baptist leaving Qumran, Thomas heading East, Valentinians moving out of Roman cities to create Egyptian spiritual communities in the desert, Tulsi Sahib moving from Poona to Hathras, and so it goes and always has been, an observable pattern of breaking with the past, a time-honored tradition of crisis and renewal, reaffirming one's mystic-path, making a fresh start in new locations, remaining free to exist in genuineness and authenticity without a hierarchy of scribes and an ever-growing caste of Pharisees running the show, surrounding the Master, blocking him from our view. There has never been an Institution of Gnosis. There is no Vatican of the Spirit. Seneca said: "Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end." Viva the Revolution.

Tags: no vatical of the spirit, gnostic, impermanence, samsara, religions, institutions

Visions of Allah: Rumi and Sufi Poetry -- CLICK TO LISTEN

http://SantMat.gaia.com — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 08:37:08 GMT

Visions of Allah: Rumi and Sufi Poetry -- CLICK TO LISTEN

My talk on Sufi mysticism, the secrets of Rumi and other Sufi poets

6/19/09 Spiritual Awakening Radio via HealthyLife.Net - Positive Talk Radio

Go to my radio archive page, scroll down and click on "Visions of Allah: Rumi and Sufi Poetry."
http://www.healthylife.net/RadioShow/archiveSPA.htm

(Clicking the link at the archive page activates your windows media player or default player of .asx files - streaming audio.)

All for the Love of Wisdom and Radio,

James
Producer and Host
Radio Website:
www.SpiritualAwakeningRadio.com
Follow me at Twitter:
http://www.Twitter.com/WisdomRadio

Tags: spiritual awakening radio, james bean, rumi, sufism, sufi poetry, web radio, archived, podcasts, religion

With Guru's Support and Sincere Meditation, the Soul Attains God

http://SantMat.gaia.com — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:48:30 GMT

With Guru's Support and Sincere Meditation, the Soul (Surat) Attains God

Sant Mat Fellowship:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SantMatFellowship
{"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." -- Dadu}

Meditation Sangat:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MeditationSangat
{"Do not live even a single day without inner
meditation." -- Baba Devi Sahab}

An English translation of a verse of

Revd. Shahi Swami Ji Maharaj,

probably the eldest living direct

disciple of Maharshi Mehi

Paramhans Ji Maharaj

- Translation by Pravesh K. Singh (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sant_santati ,

http://blog.360.yahoo.com/praveshksingh )

THE VERSE:

"guru yugatI se tAku gagan mein, tab jhalakai ek tArA re |
wah tArA gurudev batAvain, joti mahal kA dwArA re ||

duti nakshatra aru chhaTA Chandra ko, sUraj prabhA niyArA re |
guru prasAd lakhain jogI jan, kari andar paisArA re ||

shabd mahal mein surat chalai tab, pakaDi shabd kI dhArA re |
paiThat sunat shabd anahad jo, bAjat vividh prakArA re ||

shabd mahal mein sAr shabd dhuni, jo bhavajal kaDhihArA re |

`Shahi' surat lagai tAson tab, sataguru sain sahArA re ||

TRANSLATION:

Gaze into the (inner) sky as taught by the Guru; a star would be sighted. |
This star, explains Gurudev, is the gateway to the Palace or Kingdom of Lights. ||

Radiance, constellations, splendour of moon, and rare brilliance of the sun come into the field of inner vision. |
Yogis, with the Guru's blessings and grace, get to see the above by penetrating within. ||

Subsequently the soul moves into the Palace of Sounds, holding onto the Current of Sound. |
Accessing here (the soul) listens to sounds of innumerable variety that keep ringing there. ||

In the Palace of Sound is grasped the Quintessential Word (Sound), which rescues (the soul) out of the ocean of transmigration. |
With the support and valuable prompts of Guru, says Shahi Swami, the surat (soul) gets attached to God. ||

Tags: inner light and sound, mysticism, meditation, union with God, shahi swami

Do Simran -- Do the Meditation By Swami Harinandan Baba

http://SantMat.gaia.com — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 23:29:16 GMT

Do Simran -- Do the Meditation
By Swami Harinandan Baba
Translation from Hindi Provided
by Pravesh K. Singh

Sant Mat/Spiritual Awakening Blog:
http://santmat.gaia.com/blog

Perform virtuous acts, you will receive happiness. Also do 'sumiran' (remembering God's name, or meditating on the Divine Sound) regularly. The biggest advantage of 'sumiran' is that we do not have to pass through the painful cycle of 8.4 million species again. Those who perform true worship of God, meditate on His name, are rid of the cycle of transmigration. The condition is that meditation be done with utmost regularity. Get initiation from an adept Guru, meditate thrice daily. Whether you see anything (during meditation) or not, never ever discontinue meditation. Initially, it might appear to be a mere show, a useless exercise. People often say that they are going to do 'dhyan', but dhyan does not happen in the very beginning. Dhyan is in fact the seventh limb of eight-fold Yoga* (as enunciated by Patanjali). We have to start with 'yam', ** 'niyam', 'Asan', 'prANAyAm', 'pratyAhAr'; then comes 'dhyAn'. Dhyan is followed by 'samAdhi' (the highest state of meditation) which is the eighth limb of yoga. So dhyan does not happen initially. First we make an attempt to do dhyan, and this process is called 'dhyAnAbhyAs' (practice of dhyan).

___________________________________

NOTES About the Practices and Ahimsa Ethics
___________________________________

* The Eight Limbs of Yoga-Stairway to Heaven - these steps and stages of ascension are used to varying degrees fairly universally by Eastern spiritual paths:
http://yoga.about.com/od/theyogasutras/p/eightlimbs.htm

** Ethical Foundation - The Five Precepts: Two and a half hours of meditation per day*** and ethcial precepts of Ahisma (non-violence in thought, word, and deed):

* Refrain from taking the life of sentient beings. This precept requires strict adherence to a vegan or lacto-vegetarian diet. No meat, fish, poultry or eggs (fertilized or nonfertilized).
* Refrain from speaking what is not true.
* Refrain from taking what is not offered.
* Refrain from sexual misconduct.
* Refrain from the use of intoxicants. This includes avoiding all poisons of any kind, such as alcohol, drugs, tobacco, gambling, pornography, and excessively violent films or literature.

*** Daily Meditation, Ethcial Precepts, and Eight Limbs of Yoga in the book, Philosophy of Liberation, by Sant Maharshi Mehi:

88. Yama consists of five disciplines: satya (truthfulness), ahimsa (non-violence), asteya (non-stealing), brahmacarya (continence), and aparigraha (control of greed or non-possessiveness).

Niyama also consists of five practices, which are the following: sauca (internal and external purity), santosha (contentment), tapas (penance), svadhyaya (study of spiritual matters) and lsvara pranidhana (meditation on God).

89. In following Yama and Niyama, one exercises aversion from the five sins, serves the spiritual master, attends satsang, and practices meditation as referred to in section 60.

90. 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.

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

92. The practice of meditation should be an essential part of the practitioner's daily routine. The preferred time of meditation is Brahmamuhurta ([Hour of God: Brahma-mu-hurta, or Amrit Veela: Hour of Elixir]: 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. Further, it is good to practice Manas japa [Simran] or Manas dhyana [Dhyan] while working.

93. Before learning the Nadanusandhana (meditation on inner Sound) in practicing Manas japa (mantra repetition), Manas dhyana (focusing on the form of the master or deity) and Drshti Yoga ([inner Light meditation in the Third Eye Center or Eye-Focus] focusing on a Point that is practicing one-pointedness), one should meditate with eyes and mouth shut. Upon learning Nadanusandhana (Yoga of Sound [Inner Sound meditation]) from the Master, one should also close the ears.

94..........In the initial stages of dhyana (absolute concentration), pratyahara is practiced. [Note: Pratyahara means to bring back. Bringing back or refocusing one's attention during meditation, bringing the mind distracted by worldly thoughts back to the Focal Point during meditation.] Through the means of pratyahara, the mind is brought back repeatedly to the Focal Point. By this constant practice of pratyahara, one is eventually able to concentrate for a short period on the Focal Point. This state of concentration is called dharana (steadiness of concentration or absorption). When absorption is maintained for longer and longer periods of time, then it is dhyana (absolute concentration). Then in this state of dhyana, one is able to grasp the Streams of spiritual Sounds (described in section 60) and finally achieves samadhi (Unity [Union, Absorption, Oneness in deep meditation]). Drshti Yoga (seeing the inner Light---the Yoga of Vision) will greatly facilitate pratyahara and dharana...... ////////

Tags: simran, manas jap, sant mat, meditation, eight limbs of yoga, five precepts, ahimsa, ethics

Spiritual Awakening Radio-New Program Archived-Click to Listen

http://SantMat.gaia.com — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 22:19:26 GMT

Spiritual Awakening Radio-New Program Archived-Click to Listen-A Variety of Eclectic Sayings, Parables & Other Spiritual Readings

The 6-12-09 Edition of Spiritual Awakening Radio is Archived and Available Online

A Variety of Eclectic Sayings, Parables & Other Spiritual Readings:

Symptoms of Inner Peace

The Man In the Well

The Man Sitting on a Park Bench Year After Year (On Not Being A Prisioner of Our Own Thoughts)

Gospel of Thomas, Kabir and Namdev Sayings

Mirabai: In Search of a Genuine Teacher Who Knows the Secret

The Prayer of Ahimsa

Guru Nanak's Vision For Life On Earth: Living In the Source of All-Energy

Seven Things I Believe and Experience

CLICK TO LISTEN (link activates your windows media player or default player of .asx sound files):

http://view.liveindexer.com/ASXGenerator.aspx?mediaSKU=xSX6yLEatgAM8JryIx8N3g%3d%3d

Enjoy the latest edition of Spiritual Awakening Radio Online.

All for the Love of Wisdom and Radio,
James
Producer and Host
http://www.SpiritualAwakeningRadio.com

Tags: james bean, spiritual awakening radio, healthylifenet, web radio, religion, talk radio, parables, readings

To hear various editions of Spiritual Awakening Radio Online.....

http://SantMat.gaia.com — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 14:58:54 GMT

To hear various editions of Spiritual Awakening Radio and the Sant Mat Podcast, GO TO:

http://www.SpiritualAwakeningRadio.com/archive.html

Tags: spiritual awakening radio, james bean, podcasts, archived shows, talk radio, religion, spirituality, scriptures, santmat

The Secret Pathway to God's Abode

http://SantMat.gaia.com — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 10:16:08 GMT

The Secret Pathway to God's Abode

Sant Mat Fellowship:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SantMatFellowship

An English translation of a verse of Maharshi Mehi Paramhans Ji Maharaj (28.04.1885-08.06.1986), one of the greatest exponents of Santmat, taken from his book "Maharshi Mehi Padavali" (Compositions of Maharshi Mehi) based on its Hindi translation by his worthy disciple & successor Maharshi Santsewi ji Paramhans (20.12.1920 - 04.06.2007):

- Translation by Pravesh K. Singh (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sant_santati , http://blog.360.yahoo.com/praveshksingh )

THE VERSES:

"sukhaman jhal jhal bindu jhalakai |
lakh le bhaiyyA band palake ||1||
tIsar til mein drishTi dhare |
piND tyAgi brahmAND chale ||2||

khule AkAsh bhare tArA |
dIp Tem hare andhiyArA ||3||
anupam chAndani joti bare |
taruN sUrya div joti kare ||4||

anahat anahad dhun mIThI |
surat gahe kari div dIThI ||5||

dhari as shabd surat DorI |
surat chalo ghar sat ko rI ||6||

`mehi' bhed kahA yah sAr |
guru sevi pAve niradhAr ||7||

TRANSLATION:

A scintillating point-light is sighted in the Sushumna (the centre of the Ajna Chakra) |
Behold (this point), O brother, with the curtains of your eyelids down ||1||

(The spiritual practitioner) who stills his sight in the Third Til (Sushumna, or the centre or the Ajna Chakra), |
Moves beyond his body and enters into the macrocosm. ||2||

The inner sky, studded with sparkling stars, is laid open (to such a practitioner). |
Light resembling that of the earthen lamp-flame (that is seen within) dispels the darkness (of the inner sky). ||3||

The inner horizon is illumined with incomparable moonlight. |
The dazzling divine light of the youthful (mid-day) Sun brightens up the inside. ||4||

Melodies of myriads of sounds and the primeval unstruck sound |
Are grasped by the surat (individual soul) that has acquired the divine supernatural vision. ||5||

Catching hold of such (divine sounds) with the focussed attention (which is referred to here as the string or thread of surat), |
O soul! Travel back to your true home (the Soundless State where God alone dwells). ||6||

I have essentially revealed, says Maharshi Mehi, the secrets (of the way to God's Abode). |
One, who serves his Guru, attains to the Supreme Soul (God) who does not need any base or support. ||7||

Tags: sant mat, maharishi mehi, union with god, sant mat fellowship, quan yin method, surat shabd yoga

A Course In Miracles and the Gnostic Gospels--Click to Listen

http://SantMat.gaia.com — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 09:28:32 GMT

A Course In Miracles and the Gnostic Gospels-CLICK TO LISTEN

This is my latest edition of Spiritual Awakening Radio archived online via HealthyLife.Net - Positive Talk Radio

Click to Listen:

http://view.liveindexer.com/ASXGenerator.aspx?mediaSKU=qAsugoArnxkOH5C6yUrz%2bw%3d%3d

The link will activate your windows media player or default player of .asx audio files.

All for the Love of Wisdom and Radio,
James

Tags: mary magdalene, gnostic gospels, a course in miracles, podcast, james bean, blogtalkradio, spiritual awakening radio, http://www.spiritualawakeningradio.com

June Sant Mat Satsang PODCAST Now Available at Blog Talk Radio

http://SantMat.gaia.com — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 08:09:07 GMT

PODcast at BlogTalkRadio on the Path of the Masters -- Union with God via Inner Light and Sound Meditation. Click to Listen:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/SantMatFellowship/2009/06/03/June-Sant-Mat-Satsang-PODcast

Program Length: 40 Minutes

Program Contents - The June Sant Mat Satsang PODcast

A Bhajan (hymn) of Mirabai, a reading from, The Last Discourse of Soami Ji Maharaj of Agra about Huzur Maharaj (Rai Salig Ram), a thirty-minute reading from, Radhasoami Faith - A Historical Study, authored by Agam Prasad Mathur (Dada Ji) of Agra, India, featuring excerpts from Chapter Five: a most excellent summary of the Spiritual Teachings and Goals of Sant Mat Mysticism, the Path of the Masters, on: The Creation (Planes, Grand Divisions or Levels), The Supreme Being, Origin of Evil - The Concept of Kal Niranjan (Gnostic Demiurge or Negative Power/Lord of the Matrix of Illusion), The Soul (Surat, Spirit Entity), Salvation (Moksha) of the soul, The Four Essentials or "Sats" of Sant Mat: Sat Shabd/Sat Naam (True Eternal Sound Current or Positive Power of God), Satguru (True Eternal Teacher), Sat Anurag (True Eternal Love), and Satsang (True Eternal Association). After that a short reading titled, The Principles of Santmat: on the nature of God, the soul, our condition as a jiva-soul at the level of the physical plane, the practices of Sant Mat Meditation, the ethical Precepts of Ahimsa, and the requirements in order to attain liberation (Moksha). The program concludes with chant from the Morning Prayer (Jap Ji) of Guru Nanak.

Jai Guru, In Divine Love, Light, and Sound,
James

Tags: podcast, sant mat, radhasoami, satsang, james bean, spiritual radio, blog talk radio, surat shabd yoga, inner light and sound meditation

Wednesday: My Monthly Inner Light and Sound Satsang PODcast

http://SantMat.gaia.com — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 10:57:02 GMT

Tags: podcast, blogtalkradio, spiritual radio, web radio, talk radio, james bean, sant mat satsang, meditation

The Rope Given by the Master So You May Leave the Well of Bhav

http://SantMat.gaia.com — Sat, 30 May 2009 04:56:09 GMT

The Rope Given by the Master So You May Leave the Well of Bhav

Sant Mat Fellowship:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SantMatFellowship
{"This mysterious path is described in the holy books, but it cannot be found simply by the study of sacred texts. It is found by the grace and guidance of an accomplished Teacher."}

A man once fell into a well. Someone came along, had compassion for him and wanted to save him. So he threw a rope into the well and said, "I am holding this rope. You come out." But instead of holding onto that rope, the man began to question him: "Who has made this well? Why was it made? Why did I fall down in here?" When the man who wanted to save him had been there for some time, he said, "Many fools like you can again fall into this well," and walked away. So Master said that what was required was, first of all, to hold that rope and come out. And after coming out of the well he could have asked any question he liked.

Guru Kabir has said: "Paanchai paanch paras ras, shabd gandh aru roop. Inhakar kahaa na keejiye, bahuri parab bhavakoop". Do not follow the five (objects of physical senses: touch, taste, sound, smell and form) or else, you would fall again in the well of 'bhav'(existence or cycles of birth & death).

The "Rope" of the Inner Light and Sound in Another Kind of Well: The Inverted Well (from a post by Pravesh K. Singh)

Sant Paltoo Sahib says: "There is an inverted well in the (inner) sky wherein a lamp keeps burning."

The head of a man, standing above the neck, is like an inverted well in which (the divine) lamp or flame burns or is alight. This lamp emitting Light is seen by the practitioner of meditation. Tulsi Sahab has said, "Jaise mandir Deepak baaraa. Aise joti hot ujiyaaraa," meaning, "Just as a lamp burns in the temple, our inner sky is illumined by the Light." The well that we have on the earth is open at the top. This is the straight, upright or erect well, as all of us know. Man's head, however, is closed at the top and open from the bottom; the way to its top is from its bottom. That's why a man's head is also referred to as the inverted well. Verses of Sant Paltoo Sahib:

"The lamp (inside the head) burns without any oil and wick. All the six seasons and all the twelve months, this lamp keeps burning.

"Those who have found a Guru (and act according to his teaching) are able to behold this Light.

"Those who are deprived of a Guru are not able to contemplate this Light.

"A Sound emanates out of the Light of this lamp.

"Only that practitioner, and nobody else, who has sunk himself deep into trance or intense meditation, in all his awareness, is able to perceive this divine Sound.

"Blessed is he, says Paltoo, who listens to or perceives that Sound.

"There is an inverted well in the (inner) Sky wherein a lamp keeps burning."

Tags: the inverted well, man at the bottom of a well, the master, inner light and sound meditation, salvation, moksha

Friday on Spiritual Awakening Radio: Inner Sound Meditation

http://SantMat.gaia.com — Wed, 20 May 2009 18:47:06 GMT

Friday on Spiritual Awakening Radio: Inner Sound Meditation

Posted on May 20th, 2009 by SantMat_Mystic_(James)

Friday on Spiritual Awakening Radio: Inner Sound Meditation in the World Religions. 10 AM Pacific/1 PM Eastern Time streaming live via

http://www.HealthyLife.NET

NOTE: Friday's Program will also be repeated Sunday on HealthyLife.NET, 9 AM Pacific/NOON Eastern Time.

Usually, as of Friday evening each week, new shows are archived and become available on-demand via my library of archived shows:

http://www.healthylife.net/RadioShow/archiveSPA.htm

O nobly-born, when thy body and mind were separating, thou must have experienced a glimpse of the Pure Truth, subtle, sparkling, bright, dazzling, glorious, and radiantly awesome, in appearance like a mirage moving across a landscape in springtime in one continuous stream of vibrations. Be not daunted thereby, nor terrified, nor awed. That is the radiance of thine own true nature. Recognize it.

From the midst of that radiance, the natural sound of Reality, reverberating like a thousand thunders simultaneously sounding, will come. That is the natural sound of thine own real self. Be not daunted thereby, nor terrified, nor awed.

(Tibetan Book of the Dead)

Tags: james bean, spiritual awakening radio, healthylife.net, spiritual radio, podcasts, web radio, internet radio, talk, religion

Vegetarian Kabir

http://SantMat.gaia.com — Tue, 19 May 2009 20:39:29 GMT

Vegetarian Kabir

The Kabir Group:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/KABIR

Kabir says, boiled rice with lentils,
seasoned with tasty salt,
is the best of foods:
I cannot slit throats
to have meat with my bread.

(Songs of Kabir from the Adi Granth,
Nirmal Dass, SUNY Press, NY)

Ants in a Burning Log - Dharamdas Meets Kabir

Dharma-das was extremely devout and practiced all the rules of charity toward the poor and guests. One day Dharma-das arrived at Mathura on a tour of sacred bathing places. After bathing in the Yamuna, he set about preparing his food. When he looked in the fire, he saw that an army of ants was desperately trying to escape from a burning log. He was filled with compassion and vowed not to eat the food. He put it on a plate and went out to find a suitable donee. Just then Kabir arrived in Mathura. Dharma-das offered the food to Kabir. Kabir told him: "Listen, merchant Dharma-das! When you were making this food, millions of ants were killed. Do you want to burden me with all this sin?" As Kabir spoke, all the rice grains on the plate turned into ants and began to crawl back to the ground.

Dharma-das then asked Kabir who he was. Kabir said: "In this Kali Yuga my name is Kabir. ... I gave you a boon in a previous life. For this reason I have come here to enlighten you."

(Kabir Legends and Ananta-Das's Kabir Parachai, a translation of the Kabir Parachai, David Lorenzen, SUNY Press, New York)

Tags: vegetarian, kabir, ahimsa, dharma, dharamdas, david lorenzen, santmat

Lists of Past Sants, and, Samadhi: State of Divine Union

http://SantMat.gaia.com — Mon, 18 May 2009 07:22:45 GMT

Lists of Past Sants, and, Samadhi: State of Divine Union

Sant Mat Fellowship:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SantMatFellowship

Lists of Past Saints - The Sants

While Sant Tulsi Sahab laid the foundation of the Santmat tradition of modern times, it was exquisitely served and enriched in a completely unique way by Maharsi Mehi Paramhans ji Maharaj. Maharshi Mehi was a direct disciple of Baba Devi Sahab of Muradabad, Uttar Pradesh, India who had special blessings of Sant Tulsi Sahab. Before I proceed further, I wish to place on record that I have a firm opinion that all true sants are equal, as they all have, by dint of their rigorous meditational practices, raised their consciousness to merge into that of, and, hence, have become one with, the Absolute Power that is, God. I, thus, have (and all of us should have) equal admiration and respect for all the sants (Lord Buddha, Lord Mahavir, Shankaracharya ji, Ramanand ji, Kabir Sahab, Guru Nanak, Tulasi Das ji, Tulsi Sahab, Baba Devi Sahab, Dadu Dayal ji, Sundar Das ji, Swapach ji, Radhaswami Sahab ji, Ravidas ji, Tukaram ji, Jagjivan Sahab, Palatu Sahab, Gorakhnath ji, Shiv Narayan Swamiji, Dariya Sahab, Soordas ji, Sahajo Bai, Shabri, Mira Bai, Maharshi Raman, Rumi, Bulla Sahab, Guru Gobind Sahab, etc. etc.) whichever sect or 'panth' they are from (in fact, the sants did never form or even propose to form any sect or panth, it has always been formed & promoted – sometimes chauvinistically – by their followers; the sants themselves have always been much beyond any sect)....... All sants have, in all times, made the noblest efforts to uplift the human kind from their woeful state of being attached to the illusory duo of the body & the world. (from an article listing many Sants and mystics titled, Maharshi Mehi – The Bridge between Scriptures and the Santmat, by Pravesh K. Singh)

Said Tulsi Sahib: 'Listen, I will now explain what I mean by "Sant". To mention a few Sants, I pick the names of Dadu, Mira, Nabha, Nanak, Dariya Saheb and Soor Das. Kabir's name, I mention again. And there have been many other Sants. Sants, who have reached the Eternal Region, have given to the world invaluable couplets and hymns in the form of their poetical compositions. I, Tulsi Das, who am only the dust of the holy feet of Sants, also said something about the bliss of the Inaccessible Region.' (Param Sant Tulsi Sahib, S.D. Maheshwari translation)

Huzur Maharaj, on the teachings of Soami Ji Maharaj: A few names of perfect and true saints and true sadhs and fakirs who manifested themselves in the last seven hundred years are given here. They are: Kabir Sahab, Tulsi Sahab, Jagjivan Sahab, Garib Das Ji, Paltu Sahab, Guru Nanak, Daduji, Tulsi Das Ji, Swami Hari Das Ji, Sur Das Ji and Raidas Ji [Ravidas]. Among Mohammedans: Shams-i-Tabrez, Maulana Rumi, Hafiz, Sarmad, Mujaddid Alif Sani. From a perusal of the discourses and the writings of the great personalities, one can know how far they had reached, and what was the region they had come from. (Sar Bachan Prose, Book One, Agra)

Great praises to all the Saints! In which manner will one pray to them? My mind is so very impure and inexperienced. Saints being destroyers of sorrows do away with the worldly traps. They are the treasure-troves of knowledge and meditation. Highly proficient in the techniques of single-minded concentration and the Yoga of Sound. They propagate the same in plain language all over the world. Great are the sages and saints like Buddha, Shankar and Ramanand for eliminating sins. Sacrifice to the magnificent saints like Kabir, Nanak, Goswami Tulsidas & Tulsi Sahib, Dadu, Sundar Das, Sur Das, Swapach, Ravi Das, Jagjivan, Paltu, etc... They are all great benefactors, delivering human beings from the fears of the world. Sadguru Devi and other Saints are also highly adorable, Maharshi Mehi sings their magnificence and lies prostrate at their sacred feet with faith and love. (Padavali of Maharshi Mehi Paramahansa)

Samadhi: (The State of Divine Union)

Samadhi is the eighth limb of Yoga. Samadhi is of two kinds: One type of Samadhi is samprajanata — a joyful state in which higher consciousness working through the mind in all stages. The second type is asamprajanata. In this type of samadhi the mind is completely absorbed in a state of pure awareness and all of one’s desires vanish. Generally speaking, the state of Samadhi is achieved when the subject (soul) and the object (God) unite. Duality disappears, and oneness is established. According to the Sant tradition, this state is possible through the practice of the yoga of Divine Sound. Without the practice of Sound yoga, the practitioner will not be able to achieve complete control of the mind.

Sant Kabir speaks about the Divine Sound: "Search the Divine Sound, control your mind. This yoga is accomplished through the means of Sound. The true Sound is the essence of creation. The physical body and world are not real (i.e., not permanent)."

Through the practice of the yoga of Light, complete control of the senses is attained (dama), and through the yoga of Sound the complete control of the mind (shama) is accomplished.....

With regard to Sound yoga the Yogshikhopanishad says: "When one focuses on a finest point and becomes established in this focus, then the divine Sound automatically becomes manifest and one is able to perform Sound yoga."

At that point of focus our ten senses (cognitive senses and active expressions) are left behind, and we enter in a state of total absorption. When our eleventh sense, the mind, enters into the ajna charka (the third eye) the practitioner is hears the Celestial Sounds. Vedic seers refer to this ajna chakra as sushumna and fakirs of Sufi tradition call it shahrag.

Sant Tulsi Sahib says: "The path to reach our Beloved lies in shahrag. Why are you wandering in the outer world to find your Beloved (God)?"

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

The Nadabindu Upanishad sings the praise of Sound yoga and offers this image: "When a mad (in rut) elephant goes to a banana orchard and destroys and eats the orchard, and the elephant keeper comes and pierces the elephant with a prong, the elephant is brought under control. In the same manner, our mind is like the mad elephant that is wandering in the garden of sense objects and is disciplined by the practice of Sound yoga."

This teaches us that when the mind withdraws from the sense objects and goes towards a state that is beyond worldly desires, the mind automatically turns toward God. (Swamisant Sevi Ji, The Harmony of All Religions, Bhagalpur, Bihar India)

On closing the eyes everyone sees the darkness inside, whether he/she belongs to whatsoever creed, caste, country or he/she be young, child, old, male, female, scholar or illiterate. This darkness has not been created by the people or gods. This darkness has been created by the Supreme Sovereign God. There are three layers (coverings) over the Jeevaatmaa (Individual Soul). Those are: darkness, light and sound. Darkness is the shadow of the light. This darkness is the first layer on the Jeeva (individual soul) whom all beings see. One who crosses this layer of darkness through a special kind of meditation sees the inner light within oneself. This inner light is called Aatma-Aalok (Light of the self) or Brahma-Prakash (Divine Light). On achieving it, the Divya-Drishti (Divine Eye, Third Eye) opens completely. (Swami Bhagirath Baba)

Tags: rumi, kabir, hafiz, sani, dadu, the sants, santmat, dariya sahib, tulsi sahib, radhasoami

The Soul of Tukarama: Saint of Maharashtra

http://SantMat.gaia.com — Sun, 17 May 2009 03:10:39 GMT

The Soul of Tukarama: Saint of Maharashtra
By James Bean
Copyright March 2005

Sant Mat Fellowship:

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

I've thoroughly enjoyed reading about Saint Tukarama ever since I learned of him a decade and a half ago. In fact, I've tried to collect all of the available books on the life, teachings, and poetry of Tukarama that are in English. I agree with the Indian scholar Dr. R.D. Ranade who said:

"Tukarama exhibits all the doubts and disbeliefs, the weaknesses and the sufferings, the anxieties and the uncertainties, through which every aspiring soul must pass, before he can come into the life of Light, Spirit and Harmony. There is no other instance in the whole galaxy of the Maratha Saints, barring perhaps Namadeva, which can be regarded as illustrative of this human element which we find in Tukarama."

Tukarama does have many analogues in literature: the poetry of John Bunyan, the Thanksgiving Hymns of the Dead Sea Scrolls, and the Psalms of King David.

Saint Tukarama (1598 - 1649 AD) was born at Dehu near Poona in the State of Maharashtra, India. He is the most famous of Maratha poets, and one of the major voices of Bhakti Marg -- the Way of Love and Devotion. His compositions of poetry, prayers and hymns (gathas and abhangas) are filled with human doubts and frailties. He also expresses words of ecstatic love and rapturous union with his Divine Beloved that filled his soul to overflowing. Tukarama was truly one of India's greatest Sants (Saints).

I highly recommend his poetry to any mystically inclined soul who's a connoisseur of the inspiring spiritual classics of the East. Think of Tukarama as another Rumi, Hafiz, or Kabir.

A Very Human Saint Who Tells God Just What He Thinks!

The largest translation of his poetry in English is, The Poems of Tukarama by J. Nelson Fraser, published in Delhi by Motilal Banarsidass Books. This is from a section titled, "Remonstrations With God:"

We are lost in a wood of anxiety: why do you still delay? Come, O Vitthala [God], our strength is spent in entreaties. Why do you not fear disgrace, thus abandoning your own children?

___

We are full of anxious longing: we have laid hold of God, but he seems far off.

___

I have not disobeyed any voice of authority: why has Narayana [God] left me? With undoubting mind I beseech him, for I have not found the peace that knows no care.

___

It is not right that you should forget your servants; for there is perfect justice at your feet. Tuka says, 'You are not ashamed,though we are sinking in the gulf of anguish!

Tukarama's Spiritual Practices/Sadhana

Tukarama wrote about several practices that transformed his life. He prayed for help in this way: "Take, Lord, my life Live thou thy life through me." (Oxford Books of Prayer, Oxford University Press)

He taught the principle that we are influenced by the company we keep, that spiritual community or companionship (Satsang) can be nurturing and supportive to our efforts. He writes:

Let me meet people of my own kind,
so that I may be satisfied. My mind
pants to meet those who love God.
Mere contact with the sandalwood
tree, and plants all around emanate
the same aroma. Likewise have I
embraced the feet of Sants [Saints],
and my separateness is extinguished.

Like other Nirguna Bhakti Sants, he believed that God is within all living beings, so we can see God in those that we meet - as in Namaste' ('the God in me bows to the God in you'). This realization changes everything in our consciousness, changes our universe into a place filled with living forms of God - all living things: "The Kingdom of God that is spread out upon the earth...." (Gospel of Thomas, Saying 113)

Another Important Spiritual Practice for Tukarama is the Chanting of Various Names of God (Simran), Remembering God by Repeating his Name

He who utters the Name of God while walking,
gets the merit of a sacrifice at every step.
Blessed in his body. It is itself a place of
pilgrimage. He who utters the Name of God
without ceasing receives liberation while
living.

The Devotee Becomes God By Repeating-Merging in God's Name

Vitthala Naam Mukti

Can one be entangled in the mire of
Illusion
When the Name of the Lord is constantly
on his lips?

One who ceaselessly meditates on Him,
While walking, talking, eating or sleeping,
While engaged in worldly duties,
The Lord is with him at all times.

Repeat constantly the Name of the Lord,
And know that devotion is indispensable
for deliverance.
Thus the devotee becomes the Lord
Himself,
And thus has the Lord become Tuka.
(Tukaram - Saint of Maharashtra, RS Books)

The Bhajans of Sants

Another important ingredient for the spiritual life was kirtana or bhajans, the singing of hymns of praise. I do notice that a very large number of mystics have composed their own devotional songs or poems. This creative outpouring from the heart helps to stimulate something deep inside: the Cry of the Soul. Saint Tukarama's explanation of this focuses upon the need for Bhakti, the need to engender love and devotion:

This God cannot be attained except through love.
What is required is pure devotion. That is the
way to liberation. In fact, God does not care
for anything except love. (Mysticism In India by R.D. Ranade, SUNY Press)

All these spiritual practices help to transform the body, emotions, thoughts, and one's very existence into expressions of the soul, our true identity and spiritual essence. This makes it much easier to have enough peace of mind to be able to meditate -- to enter the world of the soul during meditation.

Infinite bliss has filled my entire being,
the stream of love divine flows freely and
I sing the Lord's Name unceasingly. I lead
a life eternal that cannot ever ebb. I
repeat ever and again the Name of the Lord;
to me, this shore of the ocean of life and
the other one [eternity], are truly one and
the same. (Tukaram - Saint of Maharashtra, RS Books)

Tukarama, Speaking from the Ecstasy of Mystic Contemplation

I have found a Sea of Love, an inexhaustible flood;
I have opened a treasure of spiritual knowledge,
it diffuses the lustre of a million suns,
arisen in thy worshipper's souls.

The same Tuka, who earlier in life composed many candid and resentful prayers, lamenting over famine and misfortune, ended up being one of India's greatest poet-mystics and Saints.

The book Tukaram - Saint of Maharashtra, published by RS Books, makes available many of his mystical compositions pertaining to the experience of Inner Light, the Sound Current and the Higher Planes.

DARKNESS FLEES BEFORE THE SUN

I penetrated the Eye Center and perceived
the Light within.
Darkness has vanished,
And the sun has burst forth
in full splendor.

So long as the soul knows not itself,
The brilliance of the sun cannot be seen.

Says Tuka, I see my true self and the Lord
Pervade the whole creation as one effulgence.

INNER EXPERIENCE - THE DOOR WITHIN

Through the Eye, my vision has risen to
Daswandwar,
And my soul has cast off its coverings.

Firmly established at the Tenth Door,
I adore my Master's Radiant Form,
which I recognize by His grace.

The bubble of illusion has been pricked,
The Almighty, Merciful Lord has revealed
Himself.

In the blissful state of fulfillment,
Tuka, without hands, clings to His feet.

THE SOUND CURRENT OR MUSIC OF THE CREATOR

Tuka is absorbed in the surging wave
of Sound Divine;
Its resplendence spreads through his
innermost being.
The Lord has made His home in me,
The lamp of eternal Light has been
kindled.
The all-pervading Sound, O Tuka, is
the Lord Himself.

Tags: tukarama, tukaram, bhakti, bhajans, kirtans, Maharashtra, God, prayer, praise, saints

5/15 Spiritual Awakening Radio: Lost Books of the Bible

http://SantMat.gaia.com — Fri, 15 May 2009 22:46:06 GMT

5/15 Spiritual Awakening Radio: Lost Books of the Bible Revisited - Click to Listen:
http://view.liveindexer.com/ASXGenerator.aspx?mediaSKU=OvauQl70eND8EHk2zAM36g%3d%3d

Tags: james bean, spiritual radio, spiritual awakening radio, web radio, talk radio, internet radio, lost books of the bible, gnostic gospels, mary magdalene

Tulsi Sahib Guru Lineages

http://SantMat.gaia.com — Sun, 10 May 2009 22:52:27 GMT

Lineages Connected with Param Sant Tulsi Sahib of Hathras, India

Shri Tulsi's Guru is unknown to us. Perhaps it was one of the Satgurus appointed by Sant Dariya Sahib of Bihar. Dariya, the Sangat founded by Dariya Sahib, and Sant Tulsi used the Anurag Sagar, a sacred text of the Dharamdasi Branch of Kabir Panth. They also shared the view that Dharam Das was a spiritual successor of Guru Kabir. These and other parallels indicate some sort of connection somewhere between one of the Dharam Das-related Kabir guru lineages and Tulsi Sahib and/or Dariya Sahib.

Tags: Tulsi Sahib

A Kabir Lineage: Guru Kabir to Sant Dharamdas to Churamani

http://SantMat.gaia.com — Sun, 10 May 2009 05:00:53 GMT

A Kabir Guru Lineage: The Dharamdasis

A Kabir Lineage: Guru Kabir to Sant Dharamdas, then to His Son Churamani Nam and Successors: Dharamdasi Huzurs: Gurus of the Dharamdas Branch of Kabir Panth During Kali Yuga. Also see the list of guru-names mentioned in the opening verse of the Anurag Sagar.

Guru Kabir 1440—1518?
Sant Dharam Das 1420-1532?
Churamani Nam - became guru: 1694?
Sudarshan Nam 1714
Kulpati Nam 1734
Pramodh Nam (Guru Bala Pir) 1754
Kewal Nam 1774
Amol Nam 1794
Surat Sanehi Nam 1814
Haqq Nam 1834
Pak Nam 1854
Praghat Nam 1854
Dhiraj Nam 1894
Ugra Nam 1897
Daya Nam
Gridhmani Nam (Grandhmaniam Hajur Grandhmaniam Saheb) 1933-1945
Prakash Nam (Prakash Manin Nam Saheb) 1945-1962
Uditmani Nam (Udit Nam Saheb) 1962-1998
Mukundmani Nam (Mukund Mani Nam Saheb) 1998-2007
Adh Nam (Ardh Nam Saheb) 2007-Present

For background on recent Dharamdasi Gurus, see:
http://hajursaheb.com/index.html

Tags: kabir, dharam das, dharamdasi huzurs, kabir panth, anurag sagar