Gist on Initiation

[Guest guest]

Greetings Everyone:

 

Below is a gist on initiation by Sant Kirpal Singh, and on meditation

by Sant Rajinder Singh. In the days to come will be more on initiation

and the meditation practice of Sant Mat, called 'Surat Shabda Yoga:'

becoming one with the inner Light and Sound of God.

 

And even if you don't quite feel ready for initiation yet, the Masters

have always encouraged seekers to make a beginning -- make a start, instructing

them to choose a Name of God (mantra) to repeat while gazing in the darkness,

waiting for Light to appear. On the Santmat Fellowship Links Page:

/links/santmatfellowship

under "Meditation Instructions," you'll be able to read three or

four different versions of the Introductory Meditation Instructions.

These are also to be found in: "Inner & Outer Peace Through Meditation,"

and, "Empowering Your Soul Through Meditation," both by Rajinder Singh,

Element Books.

 

Between my radio programs, classes, and the internet, I encounter many

people. Often I find people have an "all or nothing" attitude which

gets in the way of their spiritual progress. Some feel that they have

to practally be a saint before they can even begin their spiritual journey.

But from studying the Masters, especially Sant Rajinder, I can only say

that it's best to do what you can, meditate as much as you can each day,

study the teachings, and grow into the Path of the Masters. The key to

spiritual progress is to remain open to the positive influence of the

Masters, for we're influenced by the company we keep. The Masters teach

us to attend Satsang, see the living Master, read the books, desire to

ponder the mysteries of life and death, and quite naturally, we'll find

ourselves opening up to the world of inner Light and Sound.

 

The Sants, Sufis, and Gnostics have always encouraged souls to remain

spiritually awake in a world (culture of society) of slumber. If we

are asleep we may not hear the Divine Voice calling to us, but by choosing

to be awake, we naturally will be drawn toward the Light.

 

Throught history Masters and Saints have been teaching that there is

Light within us. Kabir said, "The Light of one soul is equal to that

of sixteen suns." Jesus in the Gospel of Thomas and the New Testament

also taught the same thing, that by seeing/contemplating the inner Light

of God it's possible to go back to God, for, we become what we see.

"If thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of Light," is a

verse often quoted by the Masters.

 

The Masters also teach that, in addition to learning to see spirituallly,

developing spiritual hearing is important as well. If we can see and

hear spiritually it becomes possible for us to begin exploring the Kingdom

of God within us, what Sant Darshan Singh called "the wonders of Inner

Space." But only Saints and Mystics focus upon these teachings, which

is why we're most fortunate to be on a Path which still has a living

Master, so we too, in this generation, can begin our own spiritual journey

into Light, Sound, and Love.

 

Bhakti,

James

 

Q & A ON INITIATION FROM 'SPIRITUAL ELIXER' BY SANT KIRPAL SINGH

 

Q. Kindly define initiation.

 

A. Initiation is a specific term. It means introducing a person to the

principles or tenets of some science. It is not something merely formal

explaining of the subject orally. It has a deeper meaning too. The term

carries with it the idea of adopting a person into the life and spirit

of what is explained. Thus, initiation has a two-fold aspect: theoretical

and practical. First comes a clear understanding of the true import of

the Science taught and then a practical demonstration of the Truths thus

inculcated. In the terminology of the Saints, it means, actually imparting

the Life-Impulse by a Master-Saint, for nothing short of it counts in

the Science of Soul or Spirit, which is a Live-Principle.

 

Q. What are the essential pre-requisites for Initiation ?

 

A. An intense longing to meet the Lord during one's lifetime is the first

and foremost qualification for Initiation. Seek, and ye shall find, is

the law. Next comes strict observance of dietary regulations by eliminating

all preparations containing meat, fish, fowl, eggs both fertile and,

infertile and alcoholic intoxicants and stimulants. Last, but by no means

the least, is life of righteousness (right thinking, right speech and

right action), continence and chastity which constitute stepping stones

on the way to spirituality. Every saint has a past and every sinner a

future. This is what the Masters proclaim. One has to outlive and forget

one's past whatever it be, and assiduously pray and strive for an Adept

who can lead him Godwards.

 

Q.Why is Initiation considered very necessary for inner spiritual progress?

 

 

A, Do we not need a teacher for learning all empirical science—engineering,

medicine, technology, industry and agriculture? The Science Spiritual

is a highly obtruse subject, dealing with the world beyond. The sense-organs,

the senses, the mind and the intellect do not, and cannot, cognize it

for all these limiting adjuncts fail to measure and grasp the Limitless.

Here the soul is to be disfranchised of all that is personal, and has

to cast off the mask of terrestrial personality (persona), and become

pure Soul before it can experience the Truth which has no form or shape.

It is more of a practical subject than anything else, and for this one

has to pass through a process of self-analysis and self-transcendence

by gradual inversion, and withdrawal of the sensory currents from the

body. In order to completely understand and to successfully practice

a super-sensory subject, unwritten and unspoken, one has of necessity

to seek the aid of an Adept (Murshid-i-Kamil or Master-Soul), fully conversant

with both the theory and practice of Para Vidya, and competent enough

to disengage the human soul from the human frame, and to trans-humanize

the human in man and lead him to the mount of transfiguration to see

the Reality face to face. Again, the inner Spiritual Planes are so bewitching,

bewildering and so vast, and full of diverse temptations that one cannot

without the active aid of the Master, traverse them.

 

Q. Please explain the importance of initiation.

 

A. Initiation by a perfect Living Master assures an escort in unknown

realms by One who is Himself a frequent traveler to those regions. He

knows the presiding deities or powers of the planes, conducts the spirit

step by step, counsels at every turn and twist of the Path, cautions

against lurking dangers at each place, explaining in detail all that

one desires to know. He is a Teacher on all levels of existence; A Guru

on the earth-plane, a Guru Dev (Astral Radiant Form) in the Astral Worlds

and a Satguru in the purely Spiritual Regions. When everyone fails in

this very life, at one stage or another, His long and strong Arm is always

there to help us, both when we are here and we quit the earth plane.

He pilots the spirit into the Beyond and stands by it.

 

SANT RAJINDER SINGH ON MEDITATION AS BEING SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ALL

DO -

THE LIGHT AND SOUND OF GOD ARE WITHIN EACH OF US

 

Meditation is not a practice limited to only saints and monks. It can

be practiced by anyone, young or old, healthy or infirm, rich or poor.

It is a simple process of inverting our attention within. It requires

us to sit in a position most convenient in which we can sit the longest.

Then we focus our attention at a point between and behind the two eyebrows

known as the single or third eye. By concentrating at this point, our

sensory currents begin to withdraw from the body. When they are focused

at that point, we contact an inner Light. To keep the mind from distracting

us from thoughts of the world or of the past or future, we can keep it

occupied by repeating a mantra or any name of God. Those who are initiated

by a spiritual Master are given Names to repeat to keep their attention

focused. If one is not initiated, one can repeat any Name of God with

which one feels comfortable. By repetition of the Names of God and focusing

our attention within, we can gradually rise from physical consciousness

to spiritual consciousness.

 

The inner journey begins with seeing various lights, flashes of light,

red, blue, orange, golden, blue, green, violet, or white light. From

there the spirit transcends through a region of inner sky, stars, moon,

and sun. It then may meet its spiritual guide or Master who will serve

as a guide on the inner journey. The guide will take the soul through

the astral, causal, and supracausal planes until it ultimately merges

back into the ocean of all-consciousness.

 

This meditation technique is available to all those who wish to learn

it. It is a free gift of God like air and sunlight. It can be practiced

as a science. One need not convert to a new religion to learn it. It

can be integrated into one’s own culture and religion. It is practiced

more as a science in which we can experiment in the laboratory of our

own body.

 

Through meditation we can attain spiritual consciousness. Then we will

find all the treasures of divinity available to us. We will experience

divine love. We will gain all-consciousness. We will find ourselves free

from fear. We will attain a sense of unity with all love. We will experience

peace and bliss.

 

 

 

 

_________________

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[Guest guest]

James,

> And even if you don't quite feel ready for initiation yet, the Masters

> have always encouraged seekers to make a beginning -- make a start,

instructing

> them to choose a Name of God (mantra) to repeat while gazing in the

darkness,

> waiting for Light to appear. On the Santmat Fellowship Links Page:

 

How about the "mantra" of simply facing What Is in every moment?

> It is more of a practical subject than anything else, and for this one

> has to pass through a process of self-analysis and self-transcendence

> by gradual inversion, and withdrawal of the sensory currents from the

> body. In order to completely understand and to successfully practice

 

It seems to me that to withdraw the sensory currents from the body is a

false escape. We erroneously believe that we ARE the body, senses and mind,

and as a result, we do not realize our true nature as Consciousness (or God,

if you like, or a thousand other names). Withdrawing by concentrating on a

mantra, sound, lights, etc., seems like an enticing trip for the ego, but I

do not see how it opens us up to Truth. I propose instead that we examine

this fact: whenever we wish something to be different than it actually is,

we are caught up in resistance/desire. Instead, why not try the Direct

Approach: Face Everything, Resist Nothing. Really, how could Truth be

found in any other way? Can you find Truth by withdrawing from it, by

saying, in effect: The Truth coming from the senses is Not as Good as the

Truth which will be found when you concentrate on the Inner Sound, the

Mantra given by the Guru, the Blue Light, etc. etc.??

> A. Initiation by a perfect Living Master assures an escort in unknown

> realms by One who is Himself a frequent traveler to those regions. He

> knows the presiding deities or powers of the planes, conducts the spirit

> step by step, counsels at every turn and twist of the Path, cautions

> against lurking dangers at each place, explaining in detail all that

> one desires to know. He is a Teacher on all levels of existence; A Guru

> on the earth-plane, a Guru Dev (Astral Radiant Form) in the Astral Worlds

> and a Satguru in the purely Spiritual Regions. When everyone fails in

> this very life, at one stage or another, His long and strong Arm is always

> there to help us, both when we are here and we quit the earth plane.

> He pilots the spirit into the Beyond and stands by it.

 

Even assuming that the path he teaches is the correct one, how do we really

know the perfect Living Master is indeed "perfect" and not a deluded

charlatan? Apparently a great deal of faith (i.e. blind belief) is

required. No offense is intended toward your guru; I know nothing about

him. But really, all of these grandiose titles and lavish words of praise

(which are seen time and time again in spiritual literature) seem to me to

be designed to stimulate the seeker's lower emotions and overcome his powers

of simple common sense discrimination.

 

Mark