Yoga of Sound, 5: Sant Mat

[Guest guest]

James Bean

new e mail address: santmat

santmatfellowship

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

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