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When in the midst of the chaos, find that stillness within you.

Ascension of the Soul to Higher Spheres — Sar Bachan Radhasoami Discourse/Bachan XXXIV (34), By Soami Ji Maharaj

Obtaining the grace and mercy of the Satguru and ascension of the surat to higher spheres, and description of the might and main of Shabd and Satguru and the secrets, mysteries and divine sports in higher spheres………………..

Hymn/Shabd 1: Jiva chitavan aaye Radhasoami …

1-5. Radhasoami descended here to rouse and stir the jivas, and time and again, I hail and salute Him and render homage to Him. Having purified my consciousness (chitt), and out of it I have made the platter for His aarti and decorated it appropriately. It is now incumbent on the jivas [souls] to approach Him and surrender their body (motor and sensory organs, their objects of pleasure), mind (all desires, cravings and evil tendencies and propensities) and head (their ‘I-ness’, hauteur and hubris). To begin with, I kindled the flame of the fire of lovesickness (virah) and made a wick out of the current of devotion and love. When I thus decorated and completed the pre-parations of aarti [true focus and worship, ascent and journey of the soul via meditation], the Satguru looked upon me, casting a kindly eye. 

6-10. Regarding me as meek and humble, He instructed me, initiated me and admitted me to Surat-Shabd-Yoga [Yoga of Inner Light and Sound Meditation]. He directed me to soar and open the window to Gagan (i.e. to the sixth ganglion, Brahmarandhra, the entrance to Brahmand); I then tied up the cord of my attention with the bluish corner (Third Til [Third Eye]). Thereafter, I focused my mental eye on the White Lotus (Sahasdal Kanwal [Thousand Petalled Lotus]) where the flame became manifest to me and I got ready to move on to Sunn [Void]. I had left and departed from both the white and the blue lotus (i.e. the sixth ganglion, and Sahasdal Kanwal) and got into the entrance of the Crooked Tunnel, where I lost all consciousness of my (corporeal and sensual cravings).

11-13. My mind and surat became alert and began to stir their stumps and they became engrossed in the Shabd Guru in Trikuti.*156 I now found a place of rest and peace, and live in Trikuti; I completed the aarti of the guru.*157 Up to this sphere, the surat progressed (by the grace of Radhasoami) and eventually I became wrapped up in the feet of Radhasoami. 

*NOTES:

*156. Trikuti is the first sphere where one gets in contact with the guru in his Shabd or Sound form.

*157. Aarti of the Guru: In Trikuti, the first aarti is performed and that is of the guru; in Sattlok the second aarti is performed and that is of Satguru; and in Radhasoami Abode, the third aarti is performed and that is of param guru. See n. *185 also.

*185. Aartis: The first aarti, that of guru, is performed in Trikuti; the second, that of Satguru, in Sattlok; and the last, that of Param Guru, in Radhasoami Abode. 

— The Quintessential Discourse Radhasoami, Sar Bachan Radhasoami Poetry, Volume II, Translation and Commentary by M.G. Gupta: http://www.Facebook.com/RumiToRadhasoami

Also Note: Always consult with the glossary when encountering unfamiliar mystical terms when reading Sar Bachan, Prem Patra, Prem Bani, etc…. For the meaning of other mystical terms such as Shabd, Trikuti, Sat Lok, etc….. see Glossary of the Radhasoami Faith: http://www.Scribd.com/doc/118302722/Glossary-of-the-Radhasoami-Faith

“Always live in the living present-in the living moment. Did you read my circular on that point? If you care for the living moment, you can care for eternity. Read the circulars and go into them deeply. If you care for the pennies, pounds will be saved, is it not so? If you keep your mind occupied every moment, then nothing can go wrong. It is given very briefly in the circulars. Brevity is the soul of all creation. The Master’s sayings are very brief, but to the point.

“If you watch your present moment, then everything is all right. If you don’t care, sometimes for hours you’re oblivious and in those vacant hours there’s so much trouble that comes up which affects your meditations. So when you sit for meditation, forget the past, forget the future; live in the living present. This is the one thing that will give you success in your meditations. But the vacant hours in which you’ve not kept the mind occupied with some constructive thought affect your meditation. 

“So that is the remedy that accounts for all these things: If you would pass your every hour in peace, with no ill will against anybody and no attachment to anybody, if you can pass each hour like that for one day, then continuously for some days, no such ramifications of mind will come up to affect your meditations. We are frittering away our moments of life in suchlike pursuits. Kabir says, ‘Make each breath you take the offering to your Master.’ Do you follow what I have said? Every breath you take, make it an offering to your Master. This is very valuable, Kabir says, and we fritter away a fortune. If a dying man wishes to stay for a few minutes longer, he cannot.

“How frivolously we kill our time. Every moment of life is very valuable. Make the best use of it. When death overtakes us, that is the time you say, ‘Oh, had some time been given to me, I would have done this and that thing.’ Is it not so? But you cannot get time then which you have frittered away so ruthlessly, so cruelly. Kabir says, ‘In one breath he crossed three planes: physical, astral, causal.’ One breath is very valuable.” (Kirpal Singh, The Light of Kirpal, Ruhani Satsang Books)

“If the doors of perception were cleansed, every thing would appear to man as it is — infinite.” (William Blake)

“Within this body

shines the entire Universe,

so the saints say.”

— Sant Tulsi Sahab of Hathras

The Three Levels of Satsang (Associating with Eternal Truth), by Swami Santsevi Ji Maharaj, from, Harmony Of All Religions

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

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

In the Bhagavad Gita Lord Krishna says:

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


* The First Level of Satsang (Association with God)

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


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

Sant Tulsidas says:

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

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

Sant Tulsidas says:

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

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

A great Sant, Tulsidas, says:

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

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


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

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

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

— Swami Santsevi Ji Maharaj (Harmony of All Religions):
http://Archive.org/stream/HarmonyOfAllReligions/Harmony-Of-All-Religions#page/n0/mode/1up

http://www.Scribd.com/doc/106514513/Harmony-Of-All-Religions

http://www.spiritualawakeningradio.com/Harmony.html

The Wonder of the World known as the Taj Mahal, located in the city of love.

Kabbalah/Jewish Mysticism and Sant Mat — There is a book on this by Miriam Bokser Caravella called, “The Holy Name”: This book presents a mosaic of mystical elements that are common to both Judaism and the Sant Mat philosophy.  Quotations are brought from Jewish sources such as the Bible, the Zohar, other Kabbalistic works, Hasidic literature, and contemporary Jewish writings, as well as from Christian mystics and the writings of spiritual masters of India, Persia and Arabia. There are thorough discussions of the Garden of Eden and other stories from the Bible, the inner regions and the kabbalistic doctrine of the sefiro and the Word or Name of God: http://www.scienceofthesoul.org/product_p/en-076-0.htm