The Yoga of Sound, Part 5: Sant Mat

[Guest guest]

James

santmat

 

THE YOGA OF SOUND -- LISTENING TO THE MUSIC OF THE UNIVERSE, PART FIVE

 

Copywrite, September 1997

 

THE SHABDA YOGA TRADITION OF INDIA - THE PATH OF THE MASTERS

 

The ancient Schools of Spirituality, including: Sant Mat, Kabbalah,

Mandaean Gnosis, Sufism, and others, see themselves as preserving a

Perennial Philosophy of the Ages. Some see a line of Masters and

Mystics, the keepers of spiritual Knowledge, as existing throughout

all of recorded history. Some of these great souls include: Seth,

Enoch, Abraham, Moses, Isaiah, the Teacher of Righteousness, John the

Baptist, Yeshua, Valentinus, Saint Isaac the Syrian, Mohammad, Rabia

of Basra, Rumi, Hafiz, Namdev, Kabir, Guru Nanak, Tukarama, Mirabai,

Dadu, Dariya Sahib, Tulsi Sahib, Swami Ji Maharaj, and others right

up to the present time.

 

The Sant Mat tradition, also known as the Path of the Masters, very

much sees itself as a modern-day continuation of the Teachings of the

Saints of old, very much a Living Perennial Philosophy with living

Saints. The author Julian Johnson in, " With a Great Master in India, "

says: " The Teaching of the Saints [which is what the term 'Sant Mat'

means] has been one and the same system since the first Saint ever

set foot upon this planet......It is a science based upon natural law

and personal experience. The Creator Himself is its author and

founder. "

 

Living Masters teach their (living) students how to SEE and how to

HEAR spiritually, which, to me, makes a great deal of sense. Seeing

is believing; hearing is vitally important as well. Without being

able to see and hear, inner mystical exploration can't get very far.

One analogy might be the worldwide web. How much surfing of the web

can we do if our monitor isn't on? Speakers and a sound card are

nice to have as well.

 

According to the Masters of Sant Mat the 'electricity' of the Godhead

that flows through all creation, and that's present within every

living thing, is called 'the Shabd.' Shabd or Shabda is a term for

the Inner Light and Sound of God, sometimes referred to as 'the

Audible Life Stream.' This Current can be seen as well as heard. This

is the Sound of God if we did but know it, and is the Light of

Eternity if we could only recognize it within ourselves. Surat Shabda

Yoga, the spiritual practice of Sant Mat, literally means: " the

attention-faculty of the soul (Surat) becoming one (yoked, yoga, or

in union) with the Inner Light and Sound Current (Shabda) of God. "

The inner Light-Sound Stream can be encountered during the silence of

contemplative meditation when we directly open ourselves up to It.

Here's a list of other mystic-terms for this same imminent Power of

the Godhead used in various world religions and languages: the Sound

Current, Holy Stream of Light, Ein Sof, Vadan, Holy Stream of Sound,

Holy Spirit, Word, Logos, Christ (as in, " In the beginning was the

Word... " Gospel of John, and, " Who else is Christ but the Sound of

God. " Acts of John), Saunt-e Sarmad, Tao, Music of the Spheres, Nada,

Ik Ong Kaar, Hoooooooo, Ism-i-Azam, the Voice of the Silence, the

Lost Chord, Davar, Memra, Anhad Shabd, Song of the Creator, Naam,

Bani, Kalam-i-llahi, Shechinah, Kalma, Dhun, Sultan-ul--Azkar.

 

In some circles of Eastern Orthodox Christian mysticism it's been

taught for centuries that by contemplating the Divine Light of the

Holy Trinity one partakes of the Divine Nature of God and enters into

the various stages of Gnosis, Theosis, and Divinization. These are

Greek terms which essentially mean: 'becoming God.' Souls know God in

their experience by contemplating (Theoria Theologica) His Light. The

Masters of Sant Mat/Shabda Yoga also teach meditation upon the Holy

Stream of Light. In addition, they practice 'Theosis' of the inner

Sound as well. In fact, they teach that inner Sound is more effective

than Light in elevating the soul back up to its True Home again. In

Sant Mat, listening to the inner Heavenly Music is considered the

most effective way to charm the 'serpent mind' and rise above body-

consciousness during meditation, allowing us to realize or experience

for ourselves the 'Pearl of Great Price.' (See the " Hymn of the

Pearl " in the Acts of St. Thomas, a Gnostic book.) The soul

experientially ascends during meditation, and leaving duality behind,

realizes its true Oneness with God again.

 

Julian Johnson in, " With a Great Master in India: " " Sant Mat is the

science of connecting the individual soul with its Creator. " One

Mystic said of Shabda Yoga Meditation: " ....Consciousness can be

released from the mortal frame by attaching itself to the Stream of

Celestial Music radiating from the top of the head and beyond. To do

this..., one first must be initiated by a genuine mystic who has

gained access to the higher realms.....Keeping the back erect and the

mind alert, one continuously repeats God's name as given by his/her

guru. This simran [mental repetition of a Name of God], as Mataji

termed it, should be done with one's attention centered behind closed

eyes. Coupled with this physical stillness and ceaseless repetition

of God's Name [step one in meditation], the next step is to

contemplate the Light within. At first, Mataji pointed out, there

will be only darkness but eventually Light will appear in the form of

either small flashes or small star-like points. In any case, one

should focus on the radiance, keeping one's simran [repeating God's

Name or Names in meditation] intact and allowing the Light to draw

the soul inward. The third and most important step, Mataji said, is

to listen to the Sound that issues forth from the Light. It is this

Internal Music which will numb the body and allow the consciousness

to leave its ordinary dwelling. By riding this Current of Light and

Sound, like a fish going upstream, the soul will be able to go back

to its original Home. On the journey within, however, the soul must

be guided by a True Master so as not to be detained in any of the

lower illusory regions. According to Mataji, what near-death patients

experience is only the beginning of a vast sojourn into great

universes of Light, Love and Beauty. " ( " Enchanted Land, " MSAC

Philosophy Group)

 

With Sant Mat there is no need to move into a monastery or convert to

a different religion, having to learn new complicated or difficult

outer rites and rituals. The Masters are, more than ever before,

making available to us westerners the advanced levels of meditation

practice. What once were 'secret doctrines' hidden in desert ashrams

or on monastic mountaintops for the few, may very well be available

(for those who notice) on bookstore shelves around the corner, or

experienced at the local Satsang Center across town. This ancient

science of spirituality in recent decades has become widely available

to people in Africa, Australia, Europe, North and South America, now

has followers in many countries worldwide.

 

The author Peter Fripp in, " The Mystic Philosophy of Sant Mat, " RS

Books, describes listening to the inner Sound during meditation

practice: " The Music of the Shabd is distant and unsteady when first

heard, but as it deepens, it lifts the listeners into a hitherto

unknown peace....The Sound of the Shabd is like a constant theme with

variations on all levels [planes or heavens]. These variations are

described as the rushing of a mighty wind, the sound of a lute, the

deep resonance of a bell or conch, or the tinkling of glass in the

wind. There are also wonderful lights and radiance to accompany the

sounds....The sounds and lights progress in a definite order,

corresponding to each stage of the journey inwards, and they clearly

indicate the disciple's progress. "

 

Some have described this form of meditation as " a conscious near-

death experience, " that is to say, the Holy Stream of Sound can

transport souls to higher states of being that may for some resemble

NDE's. This is not a 'do-it-yourself spirituality' in the sense that

one needs the guidance of a competent Master in order to practice the

meditation correctly in a healthy and balanced way. One should never

attempt to climb the Himalayas without a Sherpa guide; in the same

way one should not attempt meditation to this degree without the

sound wisdom and spiritual direction of a living Guide. (To better

evaluate masters, paths, and lines of masters/spiritual communities,

see " Godman " by Kirpal Singh, SK Publications) In the Shabda Yoga

tradition of India the methods of practice are communicated at the

time of initiation by the Master. A Living Teacher, being fully

acquainted with the 'landscape' of inner space, is able to impart to

initiates valuable guidance on how to safely make the journey of

ascension to the spiritual worlds during meditation practice inside.

The details of Shabda Yoga practice are not found in books and aren't

for sale, but are given to seekers by the Master at the time of

initiation.

 

And I should mention, there's no money involved in this process, no

cosmic inflation to worry about; no dues or membership in some kind

of 'organization' are required in order to 'qualify' for initiation

into Shabda Yoga! Money can't buy It. It can't be sold.

Enlightenment/Salvation (Jiva Mukti)/Spirituality, like air and

sunlight, remains free and available to all according to Sant Mat.

 

THE HEAVENS ARE AVAILABLE NOW THROUGH MEDITATION

 

Sant Rajinder Singh in, " Empowering Your Soul Through Meditation, "

Element Books: " Regions of Light that embrace souls with a powerful

love await each one of us within. Sights and sounds beyond anything

we could ever imagine reside within us. Incredible music far beyond

any that can be produced by worldly instruments is reverberating at

every moment. Realms in which love resounds exist within at this very

moment. Colors we could never imagine and sounds so melodious they

enchant the soul characterize the inner realms. Places of bliss and

joy from which all our worldly cares are forgotten call to us from

within. "

 

THE YOGA OF SOUND, PART FIVE///

 

Peace, Oneness,

 

James