Spiritual Learnings from Sant Kirpal Singh Maharaj of Sant Mat

Man as intended by God is a noble being with noble qualities and aspirations, directed to the attainment of self and God realization in his life time ( Sant Kirpal Singh)

Sant Kirpal Singh ( 1894-1974) of Sant Mat, a distinguished exponent of the Divine Science of the Soul, was a great Saint of 20th century, who carried out enormous work for humanity throughout the world. He taught the world the virtues of Forbearance, Patience, Forgiveness and Godliness with deep reverence. He gave the message of Love and Hope for redemption and salvation to the receptive souls.

" I am not enamoured of any worldly gain. My only wish is to attain communion with God." was his reply to his father at an early age when questioned. Through Purity of mind and sincere devotion, he had, at an early age developed," Power of Trans-vision " and could clearly see what was happening anywhere & read out people's mind. He was a great lover of books. Serving and helping others was his priority. He always looked lovable, compassionate and very kind.

 He established several spiritual and humanitarian institutions within India and abroad and initiated over 80000 followers to fulfill  this mission. He served several world bodies engaged in similar missions. To quote, he was elected the first President of World Fellowship of Religions, recognized by UNESCO, and presided over four World Conferences with participation of representatives of major world religions. He wrote scores of books for the masses, as gifts of God and given by God. Let me share a few of the key learnings from his scriptures, mostly focused on my area of the blog, under some of the spiritual headings for ease of understanding.

Religion

• Religion is that which brings into full play the dormant spiritual faculties in man & expands its little self so as to embrace the universe and fills him with loving compassion for all creatures of the world.
• All religions aim at salvation-- freedom from the plane of senses-- rising into cosmic awareness-- oneness with Christ power or the spirit of Islam or other religious philosophies,all quest for one, the Unchangeable Permanence or Life Eternal.
• Religion means " Binding back our souls to  God." This religion is above all other religions. Although our outer social bodies are different, the inner truth or the basic principle is the same.
• The highest religion is to rise to Universal Brotherhood. The message of the Unity of Man must reach every human heart, irrespective of religions and social labels, enabling him to actually put it in practice in life and pass on to others.
• The Science of the Soul is the Kernel and the Core of all religions. It is the foundation on which all religions rest.
• True Religion is the expression of the Divinity, already existing in man. Nor is true Religion to be found in rites or in ceremonies or in creeds or forms. It consists in linking the Soul with Over- Soul, in its manifested play of Light & Sound in the God made temple of the human body. It exists in love for all.
• Religion of life is required, which would shine in the deeds and lives of men. It should not be separated from life.
• All the religions agree that Life, Light and Love are the three phases of the Supreme Source of all that exists. These are the essential attributes of Divinity that is ONE though designated differently by the Prophets and Peoples of the world.

Social Conduct and Ethical Living

• Be good, Do good and Be one was the message propagated by Sant Kirpal Singh. for his disciples. Being Good means being good in thoughts, words and deeds. God is all goodness & innate in all. Be friendly with everyone, be kind and compassionate. God is all Love; love all, serve all & do good to all. God made mankind, all mankind is one. We all are born with equal privileges, from God. As Soul, we all are of same essence as that of God.
• It is necessary for the aspirants to gradually weed out moral lapses, one by one, & to cultivate in their place moral virtues. It is the knowledge of our faults and failures in the areas of non- violence, truthfulness, chastity, loving humility and selfless service, that will make us strive to correct them, This, in turn, leads to true spirituality.
• Those who want permanent joy, all glory and eternal life, should contact God, who is within you and permeating through all creation. We have to rise above the astral plane, causal plane, super-causal plane and reach that spiritual plane, which is the true home of our father.
• Speak in love, think of love and let all your affairs be saturated with love.
• To forget and forgive is what one must practice in thoughts, words and deeds. Love knows no criticism, no imposition, no boasting and no reflection on other's shortcomings.
• Let the ego be completely annihilated & we emerge out of and above the plane of duality, forgetting all about of our I- hood. Self denial and abnegation is another stepping stone to the climax of spirituality.
• We must reform ourselves before we can reform others. We should weed out all imperfections, one by one, by self introspection.
• Selfless service is a great virtue, the climax of which is annihilation of Ego.
• Everyone need to behave lovingly, to be tolerant and to exhibit in all matters a spirit of humility and self discipline. Love knows selfless service, sacrifice and self surrender.
• Gratitude is a tonic for the heart, which is the seat for loving humility & adoring devotion.
• Soul is an in-dweller of the body for a short period only. The body is not its permanent abode. It is the temple in which the soul & God reside. We have to keep it holy and not pollute it with sins connected with passions viz lust, anger, covetousness, attachment and egoism.
• Truth is above all, but true living is still above truth. This requires leading a life of continence, humility, truthfulness & love and devotion to God and all His creation.
• An ethical life is a stepping stone to spirituality. Cleanliness in thoughts, words and deeds, an essential requisite to progress in spirituality, is said to be next to Godliness.
•  Love does not want any taking, it is always giving; sacrificing for others. Those who love, they can know God. You may belong to any social religion, but without love, you are nowhere, whether in this world or in other world.
• Chastity of thought, of all outgoing faculties ( sight, audition, feelings), in other words, ब्रह्मचर्य, is the way of living to find God. It means self introspection. The other word for ethical living is सदाचार. Control your tongue, control your thought & think of no evil about anybody. Chastity is foremost of all virtues.
• " Thou shall not kill" and " live and let live" should be two important principles of our life, when dealing with others. We should sow the seeds of kindness in order to reap its fruits.

Sant Kirpal Singh, a Perfect master and a Sat-guru, gave valuable inputs on improving ethical values and overall spirituality in life, while maintaining a highly simple life profile. " The mission of my life is to help others to rise above body consciousness & have a glimpse of the Lord, with the grace of my Master", conveyed Sant Kirpal Singh. Let me share a few more of his powerful teachings/ inputs.

• नाम /Word / शब्द , the sound principle--- नाम  is a power and motor-force behind everything & hence outer actions like acts of charity, fasts, penances, yajnas are of no avail to a seeker after truth. नाम  alone is the link between God and man. नाम is unchanging permanence, invariable, ancient and eternal. We live and have our very being in नाम /शब्द and ultimately dissolve into it. Devotion to it  is the only true worship and absorption in it purifies the mind. शब्द or नाम  is the sound current or sound principle. 
• Surat Shabd Yoga--- It is a path of personal spiritual attainment under guidance of a living Spiritual Master. Basic teachings consist in opening the third eye to develop vision of inner light and inner sound. This is considered to be the power of unmanifested Godhead coming into expression and is called शब्द  in the Holy Bible and with other names viz नाम , शब्द , ओम  as well.
• Spirituality--- It is a path of love, discipline and self control. It is an inner experience, an experience of the soul. it is more a practical science rather than a mere theoretical dissertation given in several religious scriptures. The spiritual path is a difficult one and requires rigorous self discipline, which includes overcoming self love and cultivating love for God. Only an ethical life can pave the way for a spiritual life.
• Love and selfless service to humanity---  Progress on spiritual path requires a firm commitment of a person to these virtues. Love beautifies everything, recognizes service and sacrifice. Love is always giving, no taking. Selfless service may assume different forms according to one's means & capacity. Some may like to attend to the needy, the poor or downtrodden while others to the sick or disabled by lending a helping hand in their distress. The more one serves, the more one's self expands & in course of time, he goes out to embrace the entire creation.
• रूहानी सत्संग  or Science of Spirituality--- रूहानी सत्संग  is a center for imparting purely spiritual teachings and training to mankind irrespective of class barriers, free to all, who are anxious for self knowledge and God knowledge. it is a science of the beyond, also called पराविद्या. It seeks to make the human soul one with over-soul. It neither believes in any rites & rituals, nor with formal places of worship. The human body is the true temple of God.
• Self Analysis, Self realization and God realization-----  Soul or spirit represent the consciousness pervading the human body and can be realized within by introversion when the senses are controlled, mind stilled and the intellect shelved. This calls for self analysis, the first step in gaining an understanding about the soul, the power ruling both body and mind. Consistent working on Self analysis and development thru feedback correction leads to Self realization, which precedes God realization. Self realization and God realization are the highest objects of our mundane existence.
• Mind and the Karmic load--- Mind, in its present state is burdened by huge Karmic load of past lives, thru endless series of incarnations. It is enthralled by outgoing faculties of senses & thus driven helplessly into the mire of sense gratification. Mind has to be tamed for the higher purpose of spiritual progress.  

Sant Kirpal Singh gave very high emphasis on regular meditation for two to three hours each day, faithfully under the overall guidance of a living perfect Master. This involved sitting in sweet remembrance of the Lord & in doing mental Simran/repetition of the charged words, with the gaze or Surat fixed at the seat of the soul located behind and between the two eyebrows. We need to be fully awake and fully conscious during meditation.

Several other spiritual aspects were also elucidated by Sant Kirpal Singh for the benefit of masses, which include all aspects of Yoga, dualism and non dualism or Advaitism, धारणा  or संयम , सिद्धि  or Powers, समाधि  and Perfect Master. Let me quote a few of His powerful messages.

" Be not imprisoned in the jail of "I" and "Me". He who hath transcended self, he verily hath attained to the highest. He knows no difference between anyone, for God is the Lord of all & in all shines the one picture Divine." ( Christmas message 1962).

" I wish you to 'Simplify, Simplify & Simplify'. To be simple in all aspects of life is to accept life." ( Birthday message 1963).

" Spirituality and Truth are the essence of the Absolute. When one finds the source of Truth, he finds the treasure of all treasures. Truthfulness in thought means sincerity of purpose in various spheres of non violence, chastity, truth, humility etc."

Learning from the spiritual scriptures of Sant Kirpal Singh are unlimited and highly relevant in all times. A small blog of mine can not capture each and every message. Let me end the blog by a powerful message on " Selfless Service" by him , in remembrance of his Master, Huzur Sawan Singh Ji Maharaj, from his book, " The Light Of Kirpal".
  

The salt of life is selfless service,

The water of life is universal love;

The sweetness of life is loving devotion,

The fragrance of life is generosity;

The pivot of life is meditation,

The goal of life is self realization.

Love God and serve all creation. Give, give and give, all thru life. Purify your minds, meditate and realize God.

Spiritual learnings from Swami Prabhupada

Religion without philosophy is sentiment, or sometimes fanaticism; while philosophy without religion is mental speculation--- Swami Prabhupada

 His Divine Grace, Vedic Scholar and an authority on भक्तियोगा, Swami Prabhupada (Sep 1896--Nov 1977), the founder Acharya  of ( ISKCON-- International Society for Krishna Consciousness), was deeply involved with intensive devotional service to Lord Krishna. Following the philosophy of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, propagated by his spiritual master " Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur", he created a massive Hare Krishna Movement across many countries of the globe.

As a charismatic spiritual leader, he brought India's culture and religious festivals such as रथयात्रा  to the West. His contribution was acknowledged by several international religious scholars. He translated and commented on  Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagvad Gita and associated spiritual literature, which touched great milestones of dissemination all over the globe. His book titled," Bhagvad Gita As It Is" is considered as one of the finest literary works of Vaishnaivism, translated into English language. His publication, " Back to Godhead"disseminated his philosophy & activities for the spiritually hungry masses of society.

 Swami Prabhupada wrote more than eighty books, which his disciples translated into twenty five languages. He was an oriental scholar, Guru, mystic, Yoga teacher, meditation instructor and an embodiment of a whole culture which he implanted into the west. To begin with,let me share a few of his value studded philosophical highlights /quotes.

• In this age of Quarrel and Hypocrisy, the best means of spiritual realization is chanting the holy name of Lord. There is no other way. ( Bhagwad Gita As It Is--- 6.11 & 6.12)
• One should not be  Happy or Distressed over desirable s & undesirables, knowing that such feelings are just created by the mind & the mind should only be carried away by your dictation. ( Special Nectar of the words of Krishna on Bhagwad Gita As It Is)
• One has to learn Tolerance in the face of dualities such as Happiness & Distress, or Cold & Warmth, & by tolerating such dualities one becomes free from anxieties regarding gain & loss. ( Bhagwad Gita As It Is--- 2.45)
• Ignorance is the cause of sinful life & sinful life is the cause of one's dragging on into material existence. ( Bhagwad Gita As It Is--4.31)
• Happiness derived from a combination of senses and sense objects is always a cause of distress and should be avoided by all means. ( Bhagwad Gita As It Is--- 18.38)

Swami Prabhupada established more than one hundred  ISKCON temples worldwide with the objective of propagating Krishna Consciousness. As per him, Krishna Consciousness deals with our eternal relationship with Lord and the process of discharging our relative duties to Him. He lived only for others. He taught spiritual science, philosophy and vedic way of living. Let me share a few of his teachings focusing on DHARMA & ETHICAL LIVING from some of his spiritual books.

• Religion means to know God and to love Him. Nowadays, because of lack of training, nobody knows God, what to speak of loving Him ( The Science of Self Realization).
• भक्तया मम अभिजानती-- Only through the process of devotion (भक्ति ), can one understand God. No other process can help you ( The Science of Self Realization).
• We are always rendering service to someone, either to our family, country or society, yet in-spite of serving to the best of our ability, we are not satisfied---- Reason, the service is not properly directed. If the Supreme Personality of Godhead ie Lord Krishna is served, all other parts and parcels will be automatically served ( The Science of Self Realization).
• सर्वधर्मान्परित्यज्य     मामेकं    शरणम्    व्रज। अहंत्वा सर्वपापेभ्यो मोक्षयिष्यामि माशुचः। ie Abandon all varieties of Religion and just surrender into me. I shall protect you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear ( The Science of Self Realization).
• Try to learn the Truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively & render service unto him. The Self Realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth ( The Science of Self Realization).
• One, who is however, taking pleasure in the self, who is illuminated in the self, who rejoices in & is satisfied with the self only,fully satiated, for him, there is no duty (3.17 Bhagwat Gita As It Is).
• One whose happiness is within, who is active within, rejoices within & is illuminated within, is actually the perfect mystic ( 5.24 Bhagwat Gita As It Is). 
• Those, who are free from anger & all materialistic desires, who are self realized, self disciplined and constantly endeavoring for perfection, are assured of liberation in the Supreme in near future ( 5.26 Bhagwat Gita As It Is). 
• One who is free from illusion, false prestige, false association, who understands the eternal, who is done with material lust & is freed from dualities of happiness and distress & who knows how to surrender into Supreme person, attains to that eternal kingdom ( 15.05 Bhagwat Gita As It Is). 
• Serenity, Simplicity, Gravity, Self- Control and Purity of Thoughts are the austerities of the mind ( 17.16 Bhagwat Gita As It Is).
• यज्ञदानतपः कर्म न त्याज्यं कार्यमेव तत। यज्ञो दानं तपश्रोव पावनानि मनीषिणाम। ie Acts of sacrifice, charity& penance are not to be given up but should be performed. All these purify even the great souls ( 18 Bhagwat Gita As It Is).
• That understanding which considers irreligion (अधर्म ) to be religion (धर्म ) and vice-versa  under the spell of illusion & darkness, and always strives in the wrong direction, is in the mode of ignorance ( 18.32 Bhagwat Gita As It Is).
• That happiness which is blind to self-realization, which is delusion from beginning to the end and which arises from sleep, laziness & illusion is said to be of the nature of ignorance ( 18.39 Bhagwat Gita As It Is).
• शमो दमस्तपः शौचम् क्षान्तिराजरवमेव च। ज्ञानं विज्ञानं मास्तिक्यं ब्रह्मकर्म सवभाजय।  Shares some of the good qualities to be possessed by an ethical person like Peacefulness, Self Control, Austerity, Purity, Tolerance, Honesty, Wisdom, Knowledge and Religiousness ( 18.42 Bhagwat Gita As It Is).
• Happiness derived from pure devotional service is the highest because it is eternal while happiness derived from materialistic understanding  is inferior because it is temporary ( The Nectar of Devotion).
• The devotee should be more tolerant than the tree and more submissive than the grass. He should offer all honor to others, but may not accept any honor for himself ( The Nectar of Devotion).
• The senses are always desiring sense enjoyment, but when a devotee develops transcendental love for Supreme Lord ( Krishna), his senses are no longer attracted by material desires. This state of mind is called Detachment. ( The Nectar of Devotion).
• When a devotee, in-spite of possessing all the qualities of pure realization, is not proud of his position, that is called Pridelessness ( The Nectar of Devotion).
• " Yas tu sarvani bhutany, atmany evanupasyati; sarvbhutesu, catmanam, tato na vijugupsate." meaning thereby that a person, who sees everything in relation to Supreme Lord and sees all entities as His parts and parcels, & who sees the Supreme Lord within anything, never hates anything, nor any being (Sri Isopanishad).
• तदेजति तन्नैजति तद दूरे तद्वन्तिके। तदन्तरस्य सर्वस्य तदु सर्वस्यास्य बाहंताः। meaning thereby that the Supreme Lord walks and does not walk. He is far away, but He is very near as well. He is within everything, and again He is outside of everything (Sri Isopanishad).

As would be seen, most of Swami Prabhupada's scriptures focused on Purity in thoughts as well as lifestyle, selfless surrender to a Supreme Lord, deep belief in path of devotional service and truthfulness in life. Here, I would like to pick up a few more lessons from  two more of Swami ji"s  scriptures, namely, " Perfect Questions Perfect Answers" & " Dialectic Spiritualism".These are a great reservoir of practical knowledge on morality, his philosophy of life and Ethical living.

 While " Perfect Questions Perfect Answers"deal with general views on ethical/ spiritual living, " Dialectic Spiritualism"shares his Vedic view on several western philosophies propagated from Socrates, to Aristotle and Pluto & many others. . As per him, none could measure up to the high standard of Vedic ideals. He said that Dharma refers to the orders given by God and if we follow these orders, we are following Dharma.

• To a question," Is the real Goal of life to know God?", Swami Prabhupada replied," Yes, To go back to Godhead, We have come from God & now we are embarrassed by material life. Our aim is to get out of this situation & go back home to Godhead ( Ch 3, The Real Goal of Life, Perfect Questions Perfect Answers, Feb 28,1972).
• To a question," Pl explain what is meant by the mode of ignorance & the mode of goodness", Swami ji replied," Ignorance is animal life--- one does not know what is God, why we are in this world or how to become happy and so on. In passion, one identifies with his material body and tries to gratify his senses. In Goodness, one can understand things in proper perspective. He knows that there is God & the world was created by Him. Helping others or Giving assistance are some of the examples on act of Goodness ( Ch 4, Perfect Questions Perfect Answers).
• To a question," How I can come to feel closer to God?, Swami ji replied," You have to be purified. The whole life is meant for purification. If you do not purify your existence, you will have to transmigrate-- from one body to another. Instead of serving the senses, serve Krishna, the God & lead a spiritual life. The more you become purified, the more you will feel closer to God." Ch 5, Becoming Pure, Perfect Questions Perfect Answers, Feb 29,1972).
• To another question on searching for a friend to give us Peace and Tranquility, Swami ji replied," That friend is Krishna, God. Just make friendship with Him; you will find everyone to be your friend because God is situated in everyone's heart., He will dictate from within so that you are also treated in a friendly way." Ch 9, The Real Peace Formula, Perfect Questions Perfect Answers ).

• On a philosophical viewpoint of Socrates that Truth is absolute, not subjective while Ptotagaros had said," What is true for you is true for you & what is true for me is true for me; the truth is subjective," Swami ji opined that absolute truth is true for everyone and the relative truth is relative to a particular position. God is the absolute truth and the material world is the relative truth.
• According to Socrates, the real pursuit of man is the search for Absolute Good. Swami ji agreed with this view but opined that before realizing Supreme Good, we must first come to the platform of Satwa Guna including prohibiting meat eating, illicit sex, intoxication, gambling. Ultimately, we must transcend even the mode of Goodness thru Bhakti and get liberated.
• Socrates believed that thru meditation, a person can attain knowledge & thru knowledge he can become virtuous and becomes happy. Prabhupada differed slightly and said that by knowing yourselves thru meditation, or insight, one can gain self control and by being self controlled, we attain happiness.
• Socrates recommended association with good and virtuous people to develop good qualities. He believed that ignorance results in bad actions and his philosophy was a philosophy of Ethics. Swami Prabhupada concurred with this viewpoint and always felt that God is Good and full of morality.
• Plato preached that Perfection within the world of senses can never be attained but it is important that we mould our lives in such a way as to attain perfection. Swami Prabhupada agreed and felt that every endeavor of material world has some defect and Perfection can be achieved thru devotional service to Lord Krishna.
• Aristotle and Prabhupada differed on several key philosophical aspects. Aristotle said that imperfection is inherent in the substance matter & because man is made of matter, he must be imperfect. Prabhupada opined that man is not made of matter but is covered by matter and man is made of Spirit ( God). Man is originally Perfect.
• Aristotle believed in the Rational faculty of mind ( intelligence)and said that activities of mind are Pure and Perfect. For him, the goal of action is to realize our potential & attain happiness. Prabhupada differed since he believed that mind is never Perfect. Soul is perfect and has all the qualities of God.

These are only a few of his views giving his spiritual insights and directions on Ethical living . So enormous is the reservoir of knowledge in spiritual scriptures of Swami Prabhupada that one small blog can not describe it. I have picked up only few which fitted into my theme of the blog. I shall end the blog by the Invocation of Sri Isopanishad, beautifully summed by Swami ji.

ॐ , पूर्णमदः  पूर्णमिदं  पूर्णात  पूर्णमुदच्यते।  पूर्णस्य  पूर्णमादाय  पूर्णमेवावशिष्यते। 

The personality of Godhead is Perfect & Complete, and because He is Perfect, all emanations from Him, such as this phenomenal world, are perfectly equipped as a Complete Whole. Whatever is produced of the Complete Whole is also Complete by itself. He remains the complete balance.

Religion, Yoga & Spirituality-- Key learnings from Swami Sivananda

Love expects no reward; love knows no fear; love Divine gives, does not demand!

Love thinks no evil, imputes no motive; love beautifies giver & elevates the receiver!

To love is to share and serve. ( Swami Sivananda)

Swami Sivananda ( Sept 1887- July 1963), Philosopher, Writer, Vedantist, Reformer and Yoga learner & Trainer, was a genuine apostle of Peace and Love. His teachings crystallized the basic tenets of all religions---- combining all four Yoga paths ( Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga & Raja Yoga) into one called,"The Yoga Of Synthesis", with its motto as,"Serve, Love, Give, Purify, Meditate & Realize". 

To him, all work was sacred. He was a shining example of the ideal of selfless service  of Karma-yoga. He worked tirelessly for serving and helping others. Some of the saintly values visible in his personality include " आत्मभाव , समदृष्टि, अहिंसा , सत्यवाद, आतंरिक एवं बाहरी पवित्रता, संयम , संतोष , परमात्मा की भक्ति". He wrote and disseminated scores of books covering Yoga, Metaphysics, Vedanta, religion, Ethics, Education & Health as well as Western philosophy.

" Neither want, nor give up---, that must be the attitude of a Vedantin. He should be supremely indifferent. He should see God (ब्रह्म ) in everything and everywhere"( Sivananda on Vedantic Ethics, 6th June 1948). He advocated three" R"s of His Yoga as Righteousness, Renunciation and Realization.

 On Religion, he forthrightly conveyed that all religions of the world have come out of Hinduism, which is मानव धर्म  as well as more of a philosophy than a religion. The teachings of ancient Hindu Saints and Scholars( ऋषिः) are of an all embracing universal nature, meant for the whole world. As per him, Religion is eternal life in the immortal soul, is oneness or unity, is above mind and senses, is above ceremonials and ritualism, is union with God. 

He emphasized that Religion is the attainment of Divine Consciousness and freedom from illusion, doubt, fear, grief & delusion. It is a faith for knowing God and realization of True Self. As per him, Real Religion is feeling God. Seeing God and Talking to God.

He respected all Religions of the world. Jesus Christ was as much honored at Sivananda Ashram as Lord Krishna. In his book," Life and Teachings of Lord Jesus", Sivananda wrote that Jesus welcomed and embraced the sinners, the despised, the fallen & broken hearted AND comforted & purified them. His central teaching was," Thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself AND the love of God manifests in the love of man."  As per Sivananda, Jesus's," Sermon on the Mount" was nothing but practice of right conduct or सदाचार and it corresponds to the practice of यम -नियम of राजयोग. . Jesus was an apostle of non violence and peace, besides an embodiment of mercy, love and humility

 In another context, while reviewing " Gospel of Islam", Sivananda wrote," The Prophet taught love, tolerance, understanding and unity. He further wrote that the Prophet's teachings were as sublime as the teachings of any other seer or saint in any other religion. He conveyed that he wished all the followers of Prophet all over the globe to re-read the holy Quran and understand its true message for humanity.

Some of the Ethical Traits and Spiritual Values preached and practiced by him can be visualized from his following prominent messages to the world;

• Cultivate peace in the garden of your heart by removing the weeds of lust, hatred, greed, selfishness & jealousy. Then only, you can manifest it externally with those who come in contact with you.
• Rely on your inner self, the divinity within you. Tap the source through looking within. Improve yourself.Build your character.Purify the heart.Develop the divine virtues. Eradicate evil traits. Make the lower nature the servant of the higher through discipline, tapas, self- restraint and meditation.
• Every temptation that is resisted, every evil thought that is curbed, every desire that is subdued, every bitter word that is withheld,every noble aspiration that is encouraged, every sublime thought that is cultivated, adds to the development of will force, good character and attainment of eternal bliss and immortality.
• Faith is a belief in the unknown.Faith is the search- light for finding God. Adhere to faith, unity and sacrifice; avoid back- biting, falsehood and crookedness; admire frankness & honesty; control tongue, temper and tossing of mind AND cultivate cosmic love, forgiveness and patience.
• See good in everything. Rise above evil and good. Go on introspecting and eradicating impurities in your personality one by one. 
• Truth is complete in itself. It is bold. It has no fears. It has a strong foundation in itself. It has no limits of space or time. It is wealth in itself. Dwell on the glory of truth. Take lessons from the lives of great men who adhered to truth; overcome the pitfalls and obstacles in its path.
• Learn to give, give in plenty, give with love, give without any expectations. Giving is the secret of abundance.
• Make others truly happy as you strive to make yourself happy. Speak a helpful word. Give a cheering smile. Do a kind act since kindness is like a healing balm. Wipe the tears of those in distress. Such little actions can make an ocean of goodwill. 
• Look within. Within you is the hidden God. Within you is the immortal soul. Within you is the inexhaustible spiritual treasure. Within you is the ocean of bliss. Look within for the happiness you have sought in vain.
• Individual peace paves the way for universal peace. The attainment of inner calm is the greatest work you can do for humanity.
• If you do not find peace within, you will not find it anywhere else. The goal of life is the attainment of peace and not the achievement of power, name, fame and wealth.

Let me move towards another treasure of knowledge shared by Swami Sivananda on "Knowing Self for God Realization". Quoting Sivananda," Man is born for Self Realization. Brahman (ब्रह्म) is identical with Self ." तत त्वम असि", thou art that, one of the Mahavakya of Upanishads conveys that know-er of ब्रह्म  becomes ब्रह्म  itself and leads to his emancipation (मोक्ष). A few powerful lessons from his scriptures or discourses are;

•  Having true desires(सत्यकाम) as well as having true will or volition (सत्य संकल्प),one must search out & try to understand" the Self or आत्मन ", which is free from sin, from old age, from death & grief, from hunger & thirst. He is the Self, the immortal, fearless ब्रह्म .
• This great unborn Self is the same which abides as the intelligent soul in all living creatures. This undecaying, immortal, fearless Self is ब्रह्म  and he, who has subdued his senses, is calm, free from all desires, enduring & composed in mind, beholds the Self in Self, sees all as Self becomes a true ब्रह्म .
• He, who has no आत्मज्ञान , is only a confirmed fool, even though he may be a learned पंडित  with all the best of degrees and intellect. He may know by heart all the major spiritual scriptures as well as philosophies of the world, yet there is no salvation for such a learned man without the realization of one's identity with ब्रह्म  through constant intense meditation.
• In an answer to a question on " Developing Cosmic Consciousness", he replied," Meditate on themes like' I am not the body, I am not the mind, I am absolute ब्रह्म , omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient---', that is the nature of Satchidananda. As this idea gets deeper and deeper into you, you will enjoy universal consciousness.
• मुक्ति ( Salvation) is attained through the knowledge of Self. To attain आत्मज्ञान, you must have one pointedness of mind (एकाग्रता). It comes from उपासना (Worship),which comes from purity of heart (चित्तशुद्धिः) and is achieved through निष्काम  कर्म। To do निष्काम कर्म, one must control senses (इन्द्रियाँ) and that can be controlled by विवेक (Discrimination) and वैराग्य ( Renunciation)। 
• God is beyond cause and effect, beyond time and space & beyond the reach of mind and speech. But yet, He is the nearest, the innermost dweller of the heart, the very life of all that lives and moves. God is hidden love and hidden power.
• God is truth. God is peace. God is an embodiment of bliss. God is Satchidananda, existence absolute, knowledge absolute, bliss absolute. God is eternity, infinity and undecaying (अविनाशी). God is all pervading essence or substance. God is close to those who are free from lust, anger, greed & egoism. God is free from any limitations. He is omnipotent (सर्वशक्तिमान).
• भक्ति  destroys lust( वासना) and egoism (अहंकार). It elevates the mind to magnanimous heights. If you want to develop भक्ति , you will have to weed out thorns both internal as well as external. Internal thorns include lust, anger, jealousy, greed, pride, hypocrisy & cunningness while external thorns include bad company, bad readings and many more.
• Selfishness is leading us to become narrow minded. Destroy it thru selfless service, charity, sat-sang and other noble deeds.
• Work is worship (पूजा ) of Narayana. Work is meditation.Surrender everything to Him.Place your ego at His feet. He will take complete charge of you.Let Him mould you in any way He likes. Let Him do as He wills. Hear the marvelous music of His flute, the mysterious music of the soul and rejoice.
• Merge in the soul. Live within. Know the self. Move about happily.Realize " one in all" and " all in one".
• Selfless work ( service of Humanity) with आत्मभाव is the seed. A feeling that all creatures are manifestations of the lord (नारायणभाव) is the root. उत्साह ( cheerfulness, zeal) is the shower. Expansion of the heart is the flower. Purity of the heart is the fruit. This is the path of कर्मयोग.
• There is no light like that of knowledge of the self. There is no treasure like that of contentment. There is no virtue like that of truthfulness (सत्य). There is no bliss like that of the soul. There is no friend like आत्मन.
•  Develop contentment. Speak the truth. Drink the bliss of the soul. Think yourself as body-less. Identify yourself with supreme self and enjoy the supreme peace and eternal bliss.

The knowledge and spiritual thoughts shared by Swami Sivananda to the world community are enormous and can not be covered in a small blog like that of mine. He repeatedly conveyed universal nature of his philosophy with ultimate aim of Self Realization. To quote, " Vedanta preaches universal principles.It has no quarrel with any religion whatsoever. It is the knowledge of Self and teaches that individual soul is identical with the supreme soul and helps aspirants to Realize Self." 

Let me end the blog by another quote from Swami Sivananda.

" There is no virtue higher than love.There is no religion higher than love because love is God and God is love. Therefore kindle the light of love in your heart."

Religion, Spirituality & Self Realization-- Key messages from Paramhansa Yogananda

Entire universe is God's cosmic motion picture and the individuals are merely actors in the divine play, who changes roles through reincarnation--- Yogananda

Paramhans Yogananda,a direct disciple of Shri Yukteshwar Giri, conveyed powerful messages on India's spirituality in foreign shores for close to 30 years. Although he lived a short life of around 59 yrs ( 5th Jan 1893 to 7th March 1952), his messages. helped changing lives of millions across the world. To quote him on Religion,

 " The true basis of religion is not belief, but intuitive experience. Intuition is the soul's power of knowing God. To know what religion is really all about, one must know God."

Amazing!, he had a strong conviction on the subject of Religion and God Realization. Moreover, his initiatives on Self Realization Fellowship founded by him in 1920 & enormous work undertaken by both of its Indian and International links, Yogoda Sat-Sang  and many more provided a platform for both Indian and Western nationals to get a deeper understanding of these subjects in illuminating their lives. He promoted Universal Brotherhood and Respect towards all Religions.

 Let me share a few key messages, relevant to my theme from one of the best spiritual book of 20th century," Autobiography of a Yogi" written by him and his spiritual  talks and discourses.

• Self Realization is the knowing---- in body, mind and soul; that we are one with omnipresence of God, that we do not have to pray & that it comes to us.Further,a realization that we are not merely near to it all the times, but that God's omnipresence is our own omnipresence. We are just as much a part of Him now as we ever will be. All we have to do is to improve our knowing.
• A Master bestows the divine experience of Cosmic Consciousness to a disciple, who has strengthened his mind by meditation and devotional discipline to a degree where the vast vistas would not overwhelm him, where his mind can absorb the liberating shock of omnipresence and his intense craving begins to pull at God with an irresistible force.
• The greatest romance is with the infinite. You have no idea how beautiful life can be. When you suddenly find God everywhere, when He connects and talks to you and guides you, the romance of Divine Love has begun.
• Divine Love is without condition, without boundary and without changes.
• The soul is bound to the body by chain of desires, temptations, troubles and worries and it is always trying to free itself.
• Being spiritual is to have an open mind, understand and forgive, and be friends with everyone.
• I am a spark from the infinite. I am not flesh and bones. I am light. In the welfare of others, I shall find my own well- being. I am space-less. I am timeless. I am beyond body, thought, and utterance, beyond all matter and mind. I am endless bliss.
• Most of the world is a mental hospital. Some persons are sick with jealousy, others with anger, hatred, passion and so on. They are victims of their habits and emotions. Making our homes a place of peace depends on us.
• Be kind to others, so that you may learn the secret art of being kind to yourself.
• If you want to be loved, start loving others who need your love.If you want others to sympathize with you, start showing sympathy to those around you; if you want to be respected, you must learn to be respectful to everyone. Whatever you want to be, first be that yourself.
• When we serve others, we serve ourselves. Do not think," I will help others"; think rather," I will help my own, my world", because I can not otherwise be happy.
• A good habit is your greatest friend; a bad habit your mortal enemy.
• Praise does not make you better, nor blame worse than what you are.Then why heed these too? Do not pay attention when they praise you, but survey yourself carefully when they blame you. If you are in fault, free yourself from error quickly, but if you are not guilty, forget it. Truth will speak for you. 

Yogananda taught Kriya Yoga and other meditation practices to help people achieve deeper understanding of " Self " As per his teachings, Kriya Yoga leads to union with the  infinite through certain actions. A Yogi, who faithfully follows its technique is gradually freed from KARMA or universal chain of causation. Consistent practice of Kriya Yoga enables the devotee to switch off and on, at will, life current from five senses and finally leads to uniting his mind at will with Divine.
 He advocated the need for direct exposure of TRUTH as opposed to blind belief. Some of his viewpoints focusing on Dharma & Ethical Practices can be visualized from the aims and ideals nurtured by him for his spiritual offspring's, Yogoda sat-sang society and/ or Self Realization Fellowship. To quote,

• To convey that the purpose of life is Evolution thru Self Effort.
• To reveal the complete harmony and basic oneness of original Christianity as taught by Christ and original Yoga as taught by Lord Krishna and to show that these principles of Truth are the common scientific foundations of all true religions.
• To point out the one Divine Highway to which all paths of true religious beliefs eventually lead; the highway of scientific & devotional meditation on God.
• To encourage plain living and high thinking and to spread a spirit of brotherhood among all people by conveying the eternal basis of their unity and kinship with God.
• To overcome evil by good, sorrow by joy, cruelty by kindness and ignorance by wisdom.
• To serve mankind as one's larger self.

Stressing on Ethical Living, Yogananda conveyed several powerful messages to masses, some of which are shared below.

" Every day in New Year must become an altar for the God of new living, new achievements in wisdom & new joy. Every day in New Year must bring hope and cheer to yourself and all humanity. Cast off the coil of decayed thoughts of the past year and be reincarnated into vital living of the New Year."--------- Yogananda, New Year message, Jan 1937.

" The truth of Yogoda is marching steadily on through the territories of dark ignorance. New regions have been conquered by the armies of divine love. Soldiers of superstition, narrowness, misunderstanding & dogmatism are on the run.Wake, soldiers of Yogoda. Train yourselves in the art of Self Control. Drill yourselves by regular meditation. Let us make the coming Christmas season by disciplining ourselves, conquering the Satan of ignorance and establishing peace within us. Let us learn to love those who love us not. Let us meet religious bigotry by our inner conviction won by realization. Let us break all our mental boundaries of color, creed and nationality and receive all in the endless, all embracing arms of Christ Consciousness".--------- Yogananda,1928, on Christmas Season.

Each and every message, writing or activity propagated by Yogananda had an everlasting impact on people or society in general, whether on Religion, Narrowness and Superstitious Beliefs,Ethical practices to achieve purity and Self Realization efforts. The simplicity and purity, which he preached was visible everywhere.
Once again, quoting from Chapter 24 of Autobiography of A Yogi, Yogananda shares his feelings on becoming Monk of Swami Order by singing these verses from famous spiritual saint, Shankara.

" Mind, nor intellect, nor ego, feeling,

Sky, nor earth, nor metals am I;

I am He, I am He, Blessed spirit, I am He !

No birth, No death, No caste Have I,

Father, Mother, have I none;

I am He, I am He, Blessed spirit, I am He !"

Quoting yet another of his thoughts expressed in one of his writing" Samadhi", he conveys the glory of its cosmic state;

" I live without the cosmic shadow, but it is not bereft of me;

As the sea exists without the waves, but they breathe, not without the sea !"

"Dreams, wakings, states of deep sleep, Present, Past, Future, no more for me;

But ever- present, all flowing I, I everywhere!"

"Thou art I, I art thou, Knowing, Know-er, Known, as one;

Tranquilled, unbroken thrill, eternally living, ever- new peace;

Enjoyable beyond imagination of expectancy, Samadhi, bliss!"

"Not an unconscious state, or mental chloroform without willful return,

Samadhi, but extends my conscious realm, beyond limits of mortal frame;

To farthest boundary of eternity, where I, the cosmic sea, watch the little ego, floating in me."

Endless are lessons and messages from the life of Paramhans Yogananda and it is extremely difficult for me to put down in this blog, though limited to my area of concern-- Dharma and Ethical living. I would like to conclude the blog by another quote from Yogananda.

"If you want to be sad, no one in the world can make you happy. But if you make up your mind to be happy, no one and nothing on earth can take that happiness from you."

Prominent Learnings during 1750-1950 CE-XII-- Sant Mat (2)

In the body, floweth the pool of Immortality;

By drinking its nectar, thou dost lose egoity;

And birth and rebirth, do for ever cease.(Namdev)

                                                                 

Continuing my previous blog on Sant Mat, let me now cover some of the key messages picked up from the discourses/ spiritual wisdom of one of its greatest Masters, Baba Sawan Singh ji Maharaj during the period, year 1858 to 1948.

Baba Sawan Singh ji Maharaj or the Great Master and second Sat-guru of Radha Soami Sat-sang Beas had been one of the greatest exponents of teachings of Sant Mat. He studied spiritual scriptures of various religions but retained a strong connection with Gurbani of Sikh religion.

 He initiated more than 1,25000 souls into this mystic path and established religious centers all over India as well as Europe, America, South Africa and Canada. His spiritual gatherings thrilled, inspired and enthralled the minds and hearts of people & helped them resolve their problems. Every word of the Great Master was an ambrosial drop that quenched their thirsty souls. 

His disciples included Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians and others from all parts of world. Let me now quote a few messages on Dharma and Ethical living from some of his discourses, Sat-sang sessions as well as spiritual scriptures including " Gurmat Siddhant' and " Philosophy of Masters".

• The Kingdom of God is within us. We have to live in this world and discharge our obligations towards our family,relations, friends and humanity. For God Realization, let us simply turn our heart God-ward, within us.
• Sant Mat is pure, unalloyed spiritual work, holds no promise to cure the sick & the blind, nor to improve one's worldly position.Initiates are to follow their normal vocations in life, earn their livelihood by honest means and utilize the same to keep themselves fit. Sant Mat aims at pure spiritual uplift.
• Lasting peace and happiness are within us. Peace and happiness derived from worldly objects and companions are transitory, these change and in time vanish. Attachment to these, leave behind scars and worries in life.
• Religion means union of the individual soul with its Source. It is an individual affair. True religion admits of no external ways of devotion. All outward ceremonies are meaningless. Burning of incense, human and blood sacrifices, eating bread or drinking wine are non essentials.
• The Truth lies within everybody. Truth is within us, in the brain, behind the eye focus, while its rays activate the entire body.
• Universal Service as the aim of brotherhood is an excellent idea. But universal service and individual are contradictory terms. An individual is an individual as long as his attention is confined to nine portals of his body. He has to cure himself from the disease of individuality, before he thinks of brotherhood and universal service.
• The first duty of man is to know himself; that is to free his soul from the bonds of mind and body; and then unite it with HIM. This is the highest service.
• God is nameless. He is the Divine Father & Sustain-er of us all; yet you can not see HIM until you are liberated from the prison house of the body. Once you realize HIM, all duality and conflict cease and disappear.
• Millions of sacrificial rites, penances, acts of charity & other deeds, can bring no salvation to human beings. Salvation is gained only by devotion to the word of God and following ethical practices.
• Self-Surrender is the key to God realization. It gives strength to the weak, sight to the seeker, beloved to the lover, God to the devotee, holiness to the sinner, freedom to the bound and immortality to the mortal man.
• Saints put the individual spirit in touch with the Sound Current, and as the spirit catches it and rises up, it throws off the influences of mind and matter and gets stronger and stronger.
• Saints use no will of their own.They live in HIM. They are HIS servants, not equals. They do not assert themselves against HIS will. As HIS dear children,God gives them everything.
• All saints are Sons of God; their mission is to make others the Sons of God and their method of achieving their mission is the Word,---Sound Current.The Word is Light.It rescinds within us and outside us. Sant Mat connects with it as Sound.
• Purity of character is the fundamental basis on which the edifice of spiritual progress is built.The five passions- lust, anger, greed, pride and attachment will become weaker and weaker as the Bliss of Sound Current increases. In the end, all passions as well as the mind will come under the control of soul.
• The real form of Guru or the essence of Guru is Shabad. Following the practice of Shabad thoroughly, the passions of lust, anger, pride, greed and attachment are destroyed. Further, when you control your mind and senses, you enjoy Shabad all the more.
• Where there is no Shabad, there is no Jyoti or Light.
• Cleanse your mind of mutual accusation as well as remonstrance and increase love and affection.for each other.Each one should admit his mistakes, ask pardon of the other, and grow in love and faith.
• The right way should be that the senses do not run after the objects, the mind is not led away by the senses and the soul has the grip on the mind and uses it as a tool to serve its purposes.
•  The mind as our master, keeps us on the wheel of birth and death. The object of human life is to control it and get off this wheel.The only power that can control the mind is the Word or Na-am.
• Mind is the veil between man and God; mind revels in the pleasure of the senses. It can be weaned away only when it gets something supremely superior, sweeter and nobler. The saints name this  as Divine Melody, the Audible Life Stream, the Voice of God, the Na-am, that ceaselessly reverberates at the third eye.
• We are captives of the mind and the senses; we wander in I-Ness. But once our inner eye is opened, we shall be in the hands of Thou-ness
• The action of Anger is to stir up strife, cause confusion and scatter the mind so that it can't concentrate. Anger destroys peace,neutralizes love, engenders hatred and turn people into enemies. It tears down, destroys, weakens, annihilates every finer quality of mind and soul. At the end, it leaves the victim nothing but a wreck, burned out, blackened and dead.
• Belief in one God is the cornerstone of all religions.There are different roads, leading to same destination. The soul of religion is indeed one; only it is encased in a different form. Irrespective of their rules and conventions, customs and ceremonials, the Substance of Reality, the essence of Truth,the basis of Spirituality, underlying them all is one and the same. The Saints, turn away from the outer religion of form and ceremony to the inner religion of the Heart.

There are innumerable messages conveyed and emphasized by the Great Master, Baba Sawan Singh ji Maharaj on the subject of Spirituality, God Realization, Ethical values and Human behavior in general. I have covered only a few of these focusing on my theme of Religion and Ethical practices. Let me end the blog by a humble advice from Guru Ramdas, the 4th Sikh Guru on Truthfulness, Sat- Guru & Ethical Behavior.

Sat-Guru is He, who meditateth on Truth. Sat- Guru and Truth are one. Verily is He Sat-Guru, who all the five foes-- Lust, Anger, Vanity, Greed&Worldly attachments, hath controlled

Prominent Learnings during 1750-1950 CE-XI-- Sant Mat (1)

Happiness can not be traveled to, owned, earned or worn or consumed. It is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace and gratitude-----------.  ( Maharshi Mehi) 

Sant Mat is a universal spiritual path comprising of the philosophy and teachings as taught and practiced by Saints, prominent on Indian sub continent from about 13th century CE. It delineates on the path of union of soul with the Divine. It shares a lineage with Sikhism,  Hinduism on Karma & Incarnation as well as Sufism. It incorporates a practical Yoga system, known as सूरत शब्द योग .

 Another commonly accepted definition of Sant Mat is found in " Man know thyself " by one of the prominent Masters of this path, Sant Kirpal Singh. To quote," Man is constantly changing or introducing new names & terminologies to describe this science. The Masters were called Saints and the nature of knowledge Mat, thus giving us the term Sant Mat.Other terms, such as शब्द योग, सूरत शब्द योग, सहज योग  are also closely associated with the same path."

" Everything lies inside us and that God is within." The outside world is only an image of the inner reality. It is one of the basic teaching of Sant Mat as described by its Masters. Moreover, Sant Mat movement assert that the Master is provided by God, as the channel for human interaction through which God manifests in the world. The key tenets of Sant Mat  are;

• Initiation by a living Master orसतगुरु .
• Role of connecting one's soul or attention, called सूरत with the inner current of light and sound of God called शबद .
• Emphasis on Ethical life style and Self less service. While Ethical life style requires a person to write a daily self introspecting diary from self improvement point of view besides internalizing other required actions in one's way of living, Self less service or Seva is devoting oneself to mental. physical or financial service to the Gurus and devotees.
• Internalizing values of अहिंसा ( non violence), Truthfulness, Chastity, Love for all, Humility and a strict vegetarian diet.

The Principles and Teachings of Sant Mat, evolved over a period of time, have been influenced by several Saints and Philosophers, all of whom preached pure and untarnished spirituality. Let me quote a few of these prominent ones;

• No caste or creed, the Lord requires; the love alone that He desires. Devotion deep and love sincere; these do the soul to Him endear ( Kabir Sahib).

• सतगुरु is the only one who can get us released from काल (death) ; believe this as true. सतगुरु defeats काल  and takes the soul to the motionless plane, where सतपुरुष ( God)  is, leading to infinite happiness and freedom from coming back to this world. ( अनुराग सागर, a Kabir Pa-nth literature).

• Concentrate your mind and remember the Supreme Being without saying anything. Close the outside doors ie quieten your sensory organs and detach yourself from  everything. Open the inside doors and concentrate on meditating and remembering God. ( Kabir 1008 Bani).

• One can not become a true lover of God so long as he has fear of death in his mind. The abode of love is too far; it is not easy to reach there.One may be blessed with love only after he overcomes the fear of death ( Kabir 1008 Bani).

• Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself, that you have built against it ( Rumi, the Persian Sufi mystic).

• The Garden of Love is green without limit and yields many fruits other than sorrow and joy. Love is beyond either condition; without spring, without autumn; and it is always fresh ( Rumi, the Persian Sufi mystic).

• What shall avail external purity, if inward pollution there be? Without a Master, true hath been, all thy oblation, O, Bulleh, in vain ( Bulleh Shah).

• He, who conquers the mind, is Lord of all mankind ( Guru Nanak).

• With over-indulgence, we purchase pain; Lust , anger & greed do never cease; and bring sorrow again and again; In chains of pain and pleasure bound; we come and go in anguished round ( Guru Nanak).

• We are not alive because we have a body, but because we are a soul ( Maharshi Mehi).

• Through the practice of meditation, we can progressively move the consciousness inward within ourselves ( Maharshi Mehi).

• The ultimate realm is fully contained within the inner mirror and is the source of true नाम ( Sant Sat Sahib).

• Right गहनी  ( understanding), Right रहनी  ( living) and सिमरण ( mindfulness, remembrance and meditation) are core teachings of Sant Dari-ya Sahib.

• सत्पुरुष सोई सतगुरु गाया , जीव अंस सब वहाँ से आया ; तीन लोक तिरगुन का घाटा , उन सब रोकि जीव की बाटा। ( Tulsi Sahib in Ratan Sagar).

• दिल का हुजरा साफ़ कर , जाना के आने के लिए ; ध्यान गैरों का हटा , उसको बिठाने के लिए। ( Tulsi Sahib in Ratan Sagar).

• The Lord in शबद form is always with you and is never far; have patience and you will get a glimpse of true light ( Swami ji Maharaj).

• Love and eagerness for परमार्थ ( spirituality) are necessary for a devotee of Radhasoami faith. It is necessary for a true spiritual devotee (परमार्थी ) of this faith to attend सत्संग ( spiritual gathering) and perform spiritual practices in the attitude of love (Soami ji Maharaj ).

• सतगुरु raises the सूरत ( the soul) of जीव  ( the person) to गगन ( the sky) and make शबद audible to him within himself. When the सूरत reaches ब्रह्माण्ड , it begins to perceive शबद. While in सहस - दल - कमल ( the thousand petaled lotus), it has some inkling of शबद.  सूरत ( the soul) ascends to the crooked tunnel (बाँकनाल ), rushes to the"causal plane" ( त्रिकुटि) & gets access to दसवाँ द्वार ( the tenth gate)( सारबचन  of Soami ji Maharaj).

• If you desire to maintain yourself at higher level of awareness, you must abjure lust. Lust blinds the inner eye, screens from our sight the refulgence of heavens & plugs our ears against the inner music ( Rumi, the Persian Sufi mystic).

Let me now sum up a few key principles of this path that have emerged over time and are the guiding force for its Masters as well as followers all over the globe.

• Ultimate Reality is beyond any beginning or end, infinite, beyond birth and beyond the senses. Its nature is imperishable, beyond time and space, beyond sound & beyond form as well as beyond the scope of mind .It's not manifested in physical form, beyond the illusion of माया ( illusion). Knowing or Merging this Divine Reality is the goal of all spirituality.
• Individual soul is an inseparable part of the Supreme Being. Bound by illusion (माया ). the individual soul remains within the cycle of birth and death. To escape from this cycle, one must experience realization of this Supreme Being. But how?
• By practicing devotion through--- (a) सिमरण ( reciting and remembering the name       of Supreme Being given by the Masters; (b) मानस ध्यान ( meditation on Divine Form); (c) दृष्टि साधना ( Yoga of inner light & inner seeing); (d) सूरत शबद योग ( concentration on inner divine sounds); the practitioner transcends the realms of darkness and reaches higher planes of Divine Reality. Only in a human body, individual soul can achieve unity with Divine.
• Abstinence from the vices of Lying, Stealing, Intake of intoxicating substances, Adultery and Violence is a must for all Sant Mat aspirants. Eating any form of meat is considered a form of violence in this path. A few other requirements for devotees of this path are-- (a) Trust and belief in God (b) Commitment to seek divine within (c) Devotion and service to a living Spiritual Master or सतगुरु (d) Attending to सत्संग and performing practices in the attitude of love. 

The path has been enriched and strengthened further by several of its Leaders and Masters over a period of time. It is considered as one of the prominent spiritual path practiced today by its followers across the globe. Some of the great Masters of this path include Soami Ji Maharaj, Baba Jaimal Singh ji or Baba Ji Maharaj, Baba Sawan Singh ji, Master Kirpal Singh ji Maharaj, Master Darshan Singh ji Maharaj, Master Rajinder Singh ji Maharaj and a few more. It has led to emergence of many sects within contemporary Sant Mat movement and include Radha Soami Sat-sang Beas, Radha Swami Sat-sang, Sawan Kirpal Ruhani Mission, Divine Light Mission etc.

 Without going into specific teachings of each of its leaders, we shall share some more key principles & practices evolved and firmed up by these leaders and Masters in the next blog. Let me end this blog by another quote from Sh Kabir Sahib.

Forsake lust, anger, vanity and avarice,

Imbibe continence, contentment, truth & tolerance.