The Ascension of the Soul, Sant Mat E

Booklet, Parts 1 Through 5 Combined,

Compiled by James Bean
 The Ascension of the Soul, Part 1

The Ascension of the Soul into Interior Regions of Light

and Sound, Part One: Introduction to the Meditation
Practice, And, The First Inner Region: Astral Plane:
 Sahas-Dal-Kanwal: Thousand Petalled Lotus

Unlike other yogic disciplines in India, such as kundalini, surat

shabd yoga does not advocate breath control (pranayama) or
a series of physical postures (asanas/mudras) as part of its
practice. Rather, it is concerned with withdrawing
consciousness from the nine apertures of the body (eyes,
ears, nose, mouth, genitals, and alimentary canal) and
transcending the corporeal frame and its limitations altogether.
This is accomplished by attaching the mind's attention to an
inner light and sound which is believed to be radiating behind
the proverbial "tenth door" (the "third eye" of the Hindus),
anatomically located behind and slightly above the physical
eyes (Shiv Dayal Singh, 1970). When consciousness
becomes totally concentrated at this pivotal point "between the
worlds," the soul, according to the saints in this tradition,
leaves the body and experiences in elevating degrees higher
regions of bliss.

The distinctive characteristic of surat shabd yoga is its

emphasis on listening to the inner sound current, known
variously as shabd, nada, or audible life stream. It is through
this union of the soul with the primordial music of the universe
that the practice derives its name (surat -- soul, shabd --
sound current; yoga -- union). To be able to achieve a
consciously induced near-death state takes great effort.
 Hence, masters of this path emphasize a three-fold method
designed to still the mind and vacate the body: simran, dhyan,
and bhajan (Charan Singh, 1979).

Simran, the repetition of a holy name or names, draws one's

attention to the eye center, keeping thoughts from being
scattered too far outside. Such sacred remembrance is similar
in form to the use of a mantra or special prayer, except that
the name(s) are repeated silently with the mind and not with
the tongue. This stage, according to practitioners, is the first
and perhaps most difficult leg of meditation.

Dhyan, contemplation within, is a technical procedure to hold

one's attention at the third eye focus. In the beginning this
may be simply gazing into the darkness or re-imaging the
guru's face, etc., but it eventually develops into seeing light of
various shapes. Out of this light appears the "radiant form" of
one's spiritual master, who guides the neophyte on the inner
voyage and becomes the central point of dhyan.

Bhajan, listening to the celestial melody or sound, is the last

and most important part of surat shabd yoga, because it is the
vehicle by which the meditator can travel to exalted planes of
awareness. Whereas simran draws and dhyan holds the
mind's attention, it is bhajan which takes awareness on its
 upward ascent back to the Supreme Abode, Sach Khand.
Naturally, mastery of surat shabd yoga is not an overnight
affair, but involves years of consistent application and
struggle. The desired results, adepts in the tradition agree,
being largely due to the earnestness and day to day practice
of the seeker.

THE INNER ASCENT

In due time, if the process is complete, the individual spirit

current or substance is slowly withdrawn from the body. First
from the lower extremities which become feelingless, and then
from the rest of the body. The process is identical with that
which takes place at the time of death, only this is voluntary,
while that of death is involuntary. Eventually, he is able to
pierce the veil that intervenes -- which in reality is "not thicker
than the wing of a butterfly" -- and then he opens what is
called the "Tenth Door" and steps out into a new world. The
body remains in the position in which he left it, quite
senseless, but unharmed by the process. He is now in a world
he never saw before... -- (Julian P. Johnson, 1952)

Before the inner voyage of light and sound can begin, the
meditator must become adept at withdrawing his/her attention
from the world and concentrating one pointedly at the third eye
center. Accordingly, when the neophyte has achieved even a
modicum of success, having sensations of numbness just up
to the solar plexus, flashes of light will begin to manifest. At
first it appears that the light is coming and going, causing the
phenomenon of bright sparks, but in actuality it is the mind
which is ascending and descending (Charan Singh, 1958,
1967, 1973, 1979).

The feeling of physical insensibility is one of the important

"acid tests" to determine if the mediation process is
proceeding correctly. Starting in the feet, numbness rises
slowly through the lower extremities, until the entire body feels
like stone. When such a voluntary paralysis occurs, the
meditator gravitates more to the inner universe than to the
outer one. According to the masters (Julian P. Johnson, 1974),
it is the function of simran to instigate this type of benumbing
impression, which releases the mind from its constructing hold
on the material corpus.

It is at this junction when the meditator senses an intense

feeling of upward movement, as if being literally pulled by a
magnetic force. This sucking effect is the direct result of one's
attention moving inward away from the outer orifices. Though
it but a preliminary stage, the student experiences first-hand
what it is like to have an out-of-body sensation. With practice,
the meditator finally does achieve total out-of-body
consciousness, traveling at immense speeds through regions
of darkness, not dissimilar in content to reports of clinically
dead patients who have been resuscitated (Raymond Moody,
1975, Kenneth Ring, 1980, Darshan Singh, 1982).

After complete withdrawal from the physical body, the

neophyte's capacity for inner sight (nirat) and sound (surat)
increases tremendously, enabling him/her to see and hear
clearly what was only thought before to be a figment of
religious imagination. Accompanying this ability is also the
realization of a super-conscious state of awareness,
remarkably more vivid and lucid than the ordinary waking state
(Sawan Singh, 1974).

To understand how such a new degree of consciousness can

be awakened, it is important to see how awareness moves
through various degrees of clarity. In the waking state, for
instance, attention is centered behind the eyes at the back of
the head. But, after eighteen or so hours, we notice a
movement downward and inward from this station towards the
throat (Jagat Singh, 1972) culminating in sleep. Likewise, after
about eight hours, we sense a rising upwards to the eyes, with
the final termination being, of course, our normal, everyday
consciousness. In both of these cases, our common language
expresses in a graphically simple way the process of
awareness: "We fall asleep; we wake up," "My eyes are
 heavy;" "I feel so awake and high." In yoga psychology the
farther down one's consciousness descends the deeper the
sleep (or unconscious) state; the further up it ascends the
higher the awareness (super-conscious). The pattern is quite
clear; clarity increases steadily the more one ascends (not
vice versa). Ken Wilber (1979, 1981) has beautifully described
this spectrum of consciousness as having a definite
hierarchical structure, with the higher orders subsuming and
transcending their lower counterparts.

The following account, primarily based upon Shiv Dayal

Singh's Hidayatnama is filled with rich mythological
characterizations, metaphors, and illustrations. For anyone
steeped in science, the account will sound too fantastic to be
true. However, we should keep in mind that although Shiv
Dayal Singh's description may be limited to the analogies of
the 19th century, his fundamental insights are consistent with
mystics from time immemorial. When reading Shiv Dayal
Singh's descriptions of the inner regions we should always
keep in mind that trans-rational experiences cannot be
adequately contained by the inherent boundaries of human
language. Let us not confuse a map for the real territory or a
menu for the meal.
 The First Inner Region: Sahas-dal-kanwal: Thousand
petalled Lotus

THE FIRST REGION:

Sahas-dal-kanwal

"Thousand Petalled Lotus"

"When your eye turns inwards in the brain and you see the
firmament within, and your spirit leaves the body and rises
upwards, you will see the Akash in which is located Sahas-
dal-kanwal, the thousand petals of which perform the various
functions pertaining to the three worlds. Its effulgence will
exhilarate your spirit. You will at that stage, witness Niranjan,
the lord of three worlds. Several religions which attained this
stage and took the deity thereof to be the Lord of All, were
duped. Seeing the light and refulgence of this region they felt
satiated. Their upward progress was stopped. They did not
find the guide to higher regions. Hence they could not proceed
further".

-- Shiv Dayal Singh/Swami Ji Maharaj, Hidayatnama (Esoteric

Teachings, Sar Bachan Radhasoami Poetry, Book One)
 [Astral Plane; Cluster of Lights]

Although the wondrous journey out of the body in surat shabd

yoga meditation begins in darkness, eventually the meditator
glimpses keen points of light, much like stars filling up a black
midnight sky. The student is advised to focus his/her attention
on the largest and brightest of these "stars" (Kirpal Singh),
which with repeated concentration will burst revealing a
radiance similar to that of a sun (Sawan Singh). When this
light explodes, a brilliance comparable to a full moon will pull
one's attention even further within. Out of that light, according
to the masters (Julian P. Johnson), known as Asht-dal-kanwal
("Eight petal lotus"), the resplendent form of one's guru will
appear. This marks the half-way point in the disciple's ascent,
since from here on one is guided to the upper regions by the
radiant form of the master (Sawan Singh). Hence it is by
comparison an easier progression for the soul than the
withdrawal of the mind current from the body.

Along with the seeing of light, consisting of different colors and

hues due partly to a particular person's karma (Faqir Chand,
1978), the meditator also hears a variety of different sounds.
At first, as the concentration becomes finer it will assume a
more distinct tone, not dissimilar to the tinkling of bells.
Indeed, it is the bell sound which is to be held onto, as its
 melody will help lead the soul into the first region, known
technically in Radhasoami as Sahas-dal-kanwal, but also
termed in other traditions as the astral plane, turiya pad, etc...

Entrance into the pure astral plane, though heralded as a

magnificent achievement, is, according to Sant Mat, but the
beginning of the inner voyage. It is alleged by many saints in
the tradition (Kabir, Tulsi Sahib, Sawan Singh, etc.) that
several great religious leaders mistakenly believed that the
light and sound of this region were of the Absolute Lord.
Instead of realizing that the manifestations were partial
glimpses of a higher reality, they worshipped them as the
totality of God. This kind of error is perhaps the chief reason
why the Sant Mat and Radhasoami movements stress so
much the necessity of a living guide. Above all else, the
masters emphasize, test thoroughly whatever appears inside
meditation. [The main test advised by the mystics is to repeat
slowly the holy name or names which were given at the time
of initiation; also verify the authenticity of one's experiences
with the outer guru for his/her validation.]

Each major region of consciousness has its own center and

guiding lord. In Sahas-dal-kanwal the ruler is known as the
lord of light and is the creator of all the universe in its
jurisdiction (Julian P. Johnson). However, the extent of each
ruler's power is limited and circumscribed by the next higher
 deity, who, likewise receives its creative energy from above,
etc. This governing hierarchy, like the kundalini chakra system,
is based on the concept that all spiritual evolution (and even
material transformation) was preceded by an involution.
Therefore, the meditator must pass through several regions of
light and sound before attaining true enlightenment.

In order to overcome the many barriers and obstacles on the

way, the guru instructs the student not to attach him or her self
to any particular vision, as they are merely signposts along the
way. In fact, all of the intermediary lords, or centers of power,
are not to be venerated but transcended. It is for this reason
that the Beas branch of the Radhasoamis and Sawan-Kirpal
Mission in agreement with previous saints, give out five holy
names as their meditation mantra. Each name represents the
presiding lord and his relative spiritual energy; to the meditator
they serve as passwords, so to say, to insure safe passage
into the next level of consciousness.

Obviously, the concern here is that a student may get stuck or

retained in one of the lower realms, believing that he/she has
reached the ultimate, when, in fact, what they have attained is
illusory and impermanent. Surat shabd yoga literature is
replete with stories of would-be masters who have been
duped on the inner journey (for instance, see the book Anurag
Sagar which goes on in detail about sages being misled in
 their meditations).

(Above is from, Enchanted Land, by David Lane, MSAC

Philosophy Group)

Huzur Maharaj (Rai Saligram):

"This discourse is intended for the benefit of those who,

seeing the instability and transitory state of the things in this
world, as well as its short-lived pleasures and greatness, have
a craving for everlasting and unalloyed happiness and
undisturbed peace in a realm which is not subject to change,
decay or dissolution".

Huzur Maharaj (Rai Saligram):

"The method of taking back the Spirit entity to its Original

Source is to ride the Sound Current".

"The method for taking back the spirit entity to its Supreme
Source is first to concentrate at the eye-focus -- the seat of
the soul, the spirit entity and mind which are defused in our
 body and in a manner tied to external objects by desires and
passions, and next to commence its journey homewards by
attending to the Internal Sound, or in other words, by riding
the Life or Sound Current which has originally emanated from
the Supreme Source".

"The Current which has been instrumental in having brought it

down here must naturally be the Path for its return to the
Original Source, and whoever finds this Current is on the Path
of Emancipation. This Current which is the Spirit and Life
Current is called in the Radhasoami Faith, "Sound" or "Word"
or Holy Name". (Prem Patra Radhasoami, Agra)
 The Ascension of the Soul, Part 2

The Ascension of the Soul into Interior Regions of Light

and Sound, Part 2: Introduction to the Inner
Regions/Heavens, And, The Second Inner Region: Causal
Plane: Trikuti

"The ascension of the soul, stage by stage, to higher regions

can be accomplished with the help pf Shabd. Hearing these
Sounds, the soul will proceed from one region to another, and
will ultimately reach the Highest Region, and enter into Rest."
(Huzur Maharaj, "Prem Patra Radhasoami")

The Higher Regions -- Radhasoami Reality

One's passage into the astral plane is aided by the sound of a

deeply resonant bell. A dazzle of colors immediately emerges,
subsiding into a deep blue, like the blue of a late afternoon
sky. Subsequently a light appears in the blue, intense but
diffused, as if veiled by a gauze screen. The soul aims for the
light, penetrates the gauze, and arrives at a brilliant flame
surrounded by a dense blue-black sky. That area, a higher
realm within the astral plane, is called shyam kunj (the thicket
of darkness), and it is regarded as the divine headquarters for
managing both the physical and astral realms. It is controlled,
of course, by Kal; here he appears as Niranjan, the Lord of the
astral realm. The soul should not be satisfied with attaining
this realm, however, but focus on the flame, which replaces
the blue-black sky with an intense bright white. This enables
 the soul to by-pass all the supernatural regions referred to in
the literature of other religions: the Christians' heaven and
hell, the Hindus' svarga and naraka, the Muslims' dozakh and
bahisht. These all exist at the level of shyam kunj, but there is
no ultimate advantage to being lodged in one rather than
another. Heaven may be filled with "comfortable rooms" and
hell with "painful cells," but in the last analysis all who live in
either are trapped "in the same jail."67 The fortunate soul,
however, has a way out. The Radhasoami master guides it to
a dark spot in the light and a sound similar to that of a conch
shell, which it hears at first only distantly from a tunnel high
above. The tunnel is called banknal (the crooked path). Upon
following the sound into the tunnel, the soul turns around and
then enters the next plane.

This second region is called the causal plane, for it is from

here that the phenomenal world is ultimately generated. At
one spot, for example, is a four-petaled lotus from which
emerge utterances that eventually issue as the four Vedic
scriptures of Hinduism. The world was created in this region
as a subtle, invisible form, and here karmic burdens are
dispatched and reclaimed. Thus cause and effect, both
material and moral, begin and end here. Brahm, the creator,
sustainer and dissolver of the universe, is considered the Lord
of this region, but he too is an agent of Kal, so this world, like
the astral, holds its perils for the wary Radhasoami soul.
 The soul, forewarned, enters the causal plane with care,
listening again for the guardian sound, which in this region
reverberates like the sound of large drums or rolling thunder,
and which may also sound like the rumbling chant of the
Hindus' om, om, or the Muslims' HU, HU. The light that the
soul looks for to guide it takes on a brilliant reddish color in
this realm, like that of the sun in a summer sunrise. The soul
fixes on these aural and visual guides, and passes by
locations where the things of our physical world were created.
Within the landscape are also vistas that are well known from
Hindu mythology-Mount Kailasa, for example, where Lord
Shiva is thought to dwell, or the forests and gardens said to
have been inhabited by Krishna. The light that the soul has
followed, already brighter than many suns, becomes ever
brighter as the wayfarer proceeds upward, bursting through
the pyramidally shaped causal realm.

At that point the soul moves beyond the arena in which

causation has meaning and transcends the last shreds of
materiality. It leaves behind realms referred to by Hindus as
"the three worlds" (trilok), i.e., the known universe, and moves
into what Radhasoami calculates as the third spiritual plane:
Daswan Dwar (the tenth door), also known as Sunn
(emptiness). This transition is more decisive than any other,
and is second in importance only to the initial shift from the
 physical to the spiritual plane, for it marks the point beyond
which the soul no longer inhabits form, whether physical,
astral, or causal. From here onward, the soul exists purely in
spirit. It passes beyond the karmic cycle, breaking free of the
bondage that forced it to shuttle from one physical life to
another. The soul has now achieved moksha (release), in the
Hindu reckoning, and is "rid of all covers of matter and mind,
and shines forth in its naked glory with the radiance of twelve
suns."68 It has a new name, too. It is called hamsa, the high-
flying goose that in Indian mythology is invested with almost
magical properties; in Radhasoami writings it is usually
described as a swan and is sometimes identified with the
phoenix. Having passed beyond the realms governed by Kal,
the soul is free to revel in divine bliss and enjoy an ambiance
suffused by a pleasant light and a divine sound. The light
resembles that of the full moon in a clear sky, shimmering in
all directions, and the sound is like that of a guitar, lute, or
harp. ("Radhasoami Reality," Mark Juergensmeyer, Princeton
University Press, ISBN 0-691-07378-3)
_______
*NOTES:
65 Rai Saligram, Jugat Prakash Radhasoami, p. 26.
66 Misra, Discourses, p. 219. See also Sawan Singh,
Philosophy of the Masters, vol. 4, pp. 132-33.
67 L. R. Puri, Radha Swami Teachings, p. 202.
 68 Ibid., p. 183

The Higher Regions (Continued) -- Radhasoami Reality

There are interesting places for the soul to visit on this plane:
Maha Sunn, for example, "great emptiness," a vast expanse of
utter darkness located above Sunn, where hidden spiritual
secrets are revealed and where five new universes, each with
its own Brahm, may be observed. Or the soul may rest in
Achint Dip, an "inconceivable island" of spirituality in the midst
of the void. The Lord of this region is called Parbrahm, "super
Brahm." He has the power to direct the soul either downward
or upward to an even higher region, and with the assistance of
the master, the Radhasoami soul can make the further ascent.

When the soul leaves the third realm and ascends to the
fourth, penultimate level, it finds itself in a medium that at first
seems strange. The fourth realm whirls in dizzy delight and is
called Bhanwar Gupha (the rotating cave). Its central sound is
like that of a flute or the sound of the Vedic mantra soham (I
am that), and the Lord of the region receives his name from
that term: Soham Purush (the person of soham). The light is
like that of the sun at midday, radiating in all directions. There
are lovely islands where souls dwell and have fellowship
together, but the Radhasoami soul hastens on to the fifth and
final region.

This ultimate level is called Sach Khand, or Sat Lok (both

meaning "the realm of truth"), and Radhasoami writers expend
countless superlatives attempting to describe it: "an ecstasy of
Divine Love," "intense bliss," "a beatitude indescribable."69
When it approaches this highest state, the soul first meets a
sort of guardian in the form of saba; (spontaneous, intuitive
consciousness).70 If it passes beyond sahaj, it is ushered into
the entrance, which is like a garden or like a courtyard in a
golden palace. One is surrounded by flowers of charming
fragrance and fountains flowing with nectar. The sound that
circulates in this ultimate realm is that of the bin, a wooden
musical instrument that produces an oboe-like tone and is
often played by snake charmers. Some Radhasoami writers,
however, claim that the word that is intended here is actually
vina, which refers to a classical stringed instrument that one
Radhasoami author translates as "harp."71 The words sat, sat
or haq, haq (the Sanskrit and Persian words for "truth,"
respectively) may be heard intertwined with the tones that
emanate from the bin. The light is as strong as sixteen suns,
but even with that brilliance it is scarcely able to compete with
the radiance emitted from the luminous form of the Lord of the
highest realm; his name is Sat Purush (the true person) or Sat
Nam (the true name). The soul presently enters into the very
chambers of the ultimate Lord, and the meeting that ensues is
described by Swami Shiv Dayal as involving a sort of
password given in response to the Lord's command. As the
soul "pushes forward," it "beholds Sat Nam smiling in bliss.
Out of his lotus-like appearance comes a voice: 'Who are you,
and why did you come here?' The soul replies, 'A true guru
instructed me in the secrets. By his graciousness I have
received the grace of your presence, 0 Lord.' And as the soul
beholds the sight of the Lord it becomes greatly
enraptured."72

After that brief encounter, the soul rushes directly into the form
of the highest Lord and "becomes one with Him in an ecstasy
of Divine Love and intense bliss."73 The soul has finally
reached its home. The journey is over. ("Radhasoami Reality,"
Mark Juergensmeyer, Princeton University Press, ISBN 0-691-
07378-3)
_______
*NOTES:
68 Ibid., p. 183.
69 Ibid., p. 180, 181.
70 One finds saba; also in the final stages of the Buddhist and
Nath yoga journeys of consciousness. It is the "mysterious
state" that is the goal of hatha yoga as practiced by the Naths
(Vaudeville, Kabir, p. 125), and their idea has influenced Kabir,
 who speaks of saba as a spontaneous experience of truth"
(Hawley and Juergensmeyer, Songs of the Saints of India, p.
44).
71 Maheshwari, Truth Unvarnished, part 2, pp. 35, 107-8. The
leader of another Radhasoami branch confirms that the bin is
the snake-charmer's oboe (Interview with Bansi Lal Gupta,
Gwalior, August 21, 1985),
72 L. R. Puri, Radha Swami Teachings, p. 180. 73 Ibid.

THE SECOND REGION:

Trikuti

"Three Prominences"

"At the apex of this Akash (in Sahas-dal-kanwal), there is a

passage which is very small like the eye of a needle. Your
Surat (spirit) should penetrate this eye. Further on, there is
Bank nal, the crooked path, which goes straight and then
downwards and again upwards. Beyond this passage comes
the second stage. Trikuti (having three prominences) is
situated here. It is one lakh yojan in length and one lakh yojan
in width [millions of miles in inner space; an expression
 describing tremendous dimensions]. There are numerous
varieties of glories and spectacles at that plane which are
difficult to describe. Thousands of suns and moons look pale
in comparison to the light there. All the time, melodious
sounds of Ong Ong and Hoo Hoo, and sounds resembling
thunder of clouds, reverberate there. On obtaining this region,
the spirit becomes very happy, and purified and subtle. It is
from here onwards that it becomes cognizant of the spiritual
regions."

-- Shiv Dayal Singh, Hidayatnama (Esoteric Teachings, Sar

Bachan Radhasoami Poetry, Book One)

{Causal Plane; Universal Mind}

Progression to successively higher regions of existence is

secured in Radhasoami and Sant Mat through listening to the
finer shabd (sound) melodies. As remarked before, it is the
bell sound which leads the soul into the first region.
Subsequently, access to the next stage, Trikuti, is garnered by
attaching one's attention to the powerful rhythm of drums (or,
clashing thunder). However, on the sojourn between the first
and second regions, one must pass through bank nal, a
crooked tunnel which can ward off spirits from progressing
further. An interesting description of this particular stage
 comes from a letter written by a disciple of Sawan Singh,
dated January 30, 1945 (Rai Sahib Munshi Ram, 1974):

"My progress again started from 9th January. Sometimes I

could see light and get some taste, but there was not upward
progress. One day I saw three paths and after many days my
soul started following the middle one. It is not a straight path
but a sort of crooked tunnel which goes on narrowing as one
moves forward. At one place it was so narrow that I had to
crawl forward on my stomach. There were many snakes and
scorpions in this path but through Your mercy they all
appeared dead and did no harm to me. I felt absolutely no
fear because I was conscious all the time of your presence
and your Shabd Form. Further on, the path narrowed still
more and a sinner like myself could never go through it
without Your mercy and grace. It is like a round tunnel and it is
all lightened up with a beautiful circular light like that of the
morning sun. It appears as if the sun is rising. I tried to pass
through this sun but could not do so and therefore came back
through this tunnel. This happened about two or three days
ago."

Trikuti, so named because of the three huge mountains of light

situated there, is the home of the universal mind where
individual karmas have their origin. Saints point out that this
region is the most difficult to traverse because it means
surrendering one's mind entirely. Since such a task is almost
impossible immediately, the soul stays within the boundaries
of the second stage for a considerable duration.

The spectacles of Trikuti are reported to be so enticing and

spectacular that the meditator often does not want to go on
further. Indeed, the inner master sometimes prevents the
student from beholding the sights in fear that he/she will
become too saturated with joy and forget his/her real mission
(Rai Sahib Munshi Ram, 1974).

Faqir Chand, a radical teacher in the Radhasoami movement

who presented a number of startling interpretations on the
nature of religious visions (Lane, 1983), believed, on the basis
of over seventy years of meditation, that the reason Trikuti is
so hard to overcome is due to the fact that whatsoever one
desires it manifests accordingly. Literally, worlds upon worlds
can be created by sheer thought in the second stage. Thus,
the soul can be trapped by an infinite set of cravings, wants,
and wishes, which continually attract the mind to ephemeral
pleasures (Faqir Chand, 1976).

Furthermore, in the grand design of the cosmos, there is a

negative force whose sole purpose is to detain the soul from
transcending to higher states. This power is known as Kal
 (time/death), the lord of the mind, in the terminology of the
saints in the Sant Mat and Radhasoami traditions (Julian P.
Johnson, 1974). Kal is the antithesis of the positive current,
Sat, which constantly goes back to the Supreme Lord, Anami
Purush. Kal's force is downward (instead of upward) toward
the creation. Hence, Kal, though also a manifestation of the
Absolute on a lower vibration, represents the main obstacle in
the ascent of the soul. The only way a sincere student can
conquer Trikuti is by withdrawing the spirit from the mind itself,
just as the mind separated from the body.

(The Section Above is from the Book, "Enchanted Land",

by David Lane, MSAC Philosophy Group)

"Saints show us the Path of Sound and Light,

They still the mind and raise it to the skies
within.
The soul gets concentrated at the Door and
is in bliss;
Ascending the celestial skies she is in sight
of Gagan (Inner Sky of the Second Stage).
The fortunate soul sets out on its journey
 along with the Divine Melody;
Listening to this Celestial Music day by day,
she becomes detached."
(Bhajan of Sant Tulsi Sahib)

The Ascension of the Soul, Part 3

 The Ascension of the Soul into Interior Regions of Light
and Sound, Part 3: The Third Region: Daswan Dwar and
the Great Dark Void

["The Tenth Door", Par-Brahm, Sunn (the Void) and, Maha

Sunn -- The Great Void]

"The refulgence of this region (Daswan Dwar) is twelve times

that of Trikuti. Pure pools of ambrosia, called "Mansarovar,"
[the Lake of Nectar] abound here. There are innumerable
flowers and gardens. Spirits, like beauties, dance at various
places. At every place fountains of nectar are overflowing and
the streams of nectar are gushing out. How may one describe
the splendour and decoration of this region! There are
platforms of diamonds, beds of emeralds and plants of jewels,
all studded with rubies and precious stones. Bejeweled fish,
swimming in pools there, display their beauty and
ornamentation, and their glitter and sheen attract attention.
Beyond this, there are innumerable palaces of crystals and
mirrors, in which spirit entities reside at their respective spots,
as allocated by the Lord. The denizens there are spiritual and
free from physical taints. Full particulars of these regions are
known only to Sants. It is not meet to describe them in greater
detail."
 -- Shiv Dayal Singh, Hidayatnama (Esoteric Teachings, Sar
Bachan Radhasoami Poetry, Book One)

Certain saints report that there are ten passage ways in

Trikuti; the first nine are local leading the aspirant only to
outlying parts of the second stage. The tenth door, though,
opens up into the third region, a dimension beyond mind and
matter appropriately entitled Daswan Dwar ("tenth door," so
named because of the key passage way in Trikuti).

The third region is exceptionally auspicious, since the student

leaves the mind plane altogether and realizes for the first time
his/her true Self; as a pure drop of infinite light and love. From
Daswan Dwar the pull is inherently upwards; no longer does
Kal's negative power attract the free spirit. Like a butterfly
liberated from its inhibiting cocoon, the soul flies forth
unencumbered to its original and true abode.

The lord of this region is known as the "Detached One" and

the shabd manifests as a sarangi (stringed instrument) with
white light shimmering like diamonds. Daswan Dwar's
refulgence is so brilliant that it dims twelve-fold the reddish
light of Trikuti.

Although the sound current is one constant audible life stream,

 it has four major gradations: anahad (unstruck); sar
(essential); sat (true); and nij (original). For instance, in the
third region, the shabd transforms from anahad into sar, which
is the movement from the mind to the soul current.
Progressively, sar shabd leads into sat shabd, which finally
ushers in the nij current of the Supreme Lord, who is
absolutely beyond all expression.

One of the central attractions in the third region is Mansarovar,

"a vast pool of immortality" wherein the soul is cleansed of
residual samskaras (past impressions). Elucidates Sawan
Singh (1970): "When the Sikh Gurus built the Golden Temple
at what is now the City of Amritsar they surrounded it with a
pool of water, to represent on earth the Mansarovar Pool or
Lake, of the third Spiritual Region. This pool they called
Amritsar, which has the same meaning as Mansarovar -- the
pool of the Nectar of Immortality. In the same way, the Indian
Rishis and Munis (sages and holy men of the past), called the
confluence of the Ganges, Jamuna and the now vanished
Saraswati, Tribeni, to symbolize on earth the meeting place of
the three great streams of refulgent Light in Daswan Dwar.
But the real thing that gives liberation lies within and not
without."

Although Self-realization is achieved in Daswan Dwar, the

student has not merged back totally with the Supreme One.
Consciousness is identified with the drop/bubble, but not yet
with the ocean of love in its awesome entirety. Thus, the soul
must evolve even further to achieve full jivan mukti, "liberation
while living." The face of the Self has been discovered --
consciousness beyond body and mind is experienced to be
the true reality -- but the primordial body of the Absolute
remains unattained (Sawan Singh. 1974).

Perhaps the most frightening phase in the meditator's

exploration is through the region known as Maha Sunn (Great
Void) which is located between Daswan Dwar and Bhanwar
Gupha. Though the soul is said to contain the light of twelve
suns, its brilliance is blinded by the impenetrable darkness
which precedes the fourth region. In fact, saints rarely discuss
this stage, as it can only be crossed with the help of the inner
guru. Outlines Shiv Dayal Singh (1970) of this plane:

"Having sojourned there (Daswan Dwar) and having enjoyed

the glory thereof for a very long time, the spirit of this Faqir
proceeded on, in accordance with the instruction of the
Guides. After traversing five arab (one thousand million) and
seventy five crore yojans upwards, the spirit entity affected
ingress into the bounds of Hahoot and witnessed the
panorama of that region. There the expanse of ten neel (one
thousand million) is enveloped in darkness. Depth of this dark
region cannot be fathomed. The spirit went down one kharab
 yojans, still the bottom was nowhere to be found. Then it (the
spirit) turned up and proceeded on the path chalked out by
Guru. It was not considered advisable to go down right to the
bottom of this region. This region is called Maha-sunn. There
are prison cells for the condemned spirits, ejected from the
Court of the True Supreme Being. Although these spirits are
not subjected to any trouble, and they perform their functions
by their own light, yet, as they do not get the darshan of the
Lord, they are restless. However, there is a way of their
remission also. Whenever Sants happen to pass that way with
the spirits reclaimed from the lower regions, some of these
spirits fortunately get their Darshan. Such spirits go along with
the Sants who very gladly take them to the Court of the Lord
and get them pardoned."

To cross the abyss without such a guide is impossible

according to the masters (Shiv Dayal Singh 1970), because
the ascent is not Self-centered but God-centered involving the
mauj (will/grace) of the Supreme Lord. In a sense, what we
are witnessing is the ultimate surrender. First, the physical
body has to be given up (sensory paralysis; out-of-body
experience, etc.), then the lower and higher mind (in the
stages of Sahas-dal-kanwal and Trikuti), and finally the soul
itself (in Sach Khand), which is nothing but a mere bubble in
the ocean of Infinity.
 (Above is from, Enchanted Land, by David Lane, MSAC
Philosophy Group)

Soami Ji Maharaj in Daswan Dwar and Exploring the

Great Dark Void of Maha-Sunn -- From Another
Translation of Sar Bachan

"Beyond this, there are innumerable palaces made of crystal

(sheesh mehal) and diverse spirits inhabit them and are
settled there in accordance with the allotments made by the
Lord, and they see the peculiar mutual display which is so
blissful, and in turn they also establish their own plays and
sports. In Hindi, these spirits are described as 'circles of
hamsas' (purified spirits). The engravings and the designs
carved in these spheres are to be seen in order to be
believed. The entire dispensation and workshop there is
purely spiritual; it is not at all gross or material.

"Spirits dwelling there are characterized by excessive

delicacy, subtlety, refinement and purity; they don't have a
trace of physical coarseness (kasaafat) and impurity. The
details of this sphere are known only to the faqirs. ['Full
particulars of these regions are known only to Sants' --
Maheshwari translation.] To unfold more about it is not proper
 and advisable. For a long time the spirit of this faqir (i.e.
Soamiji Maharaj Himself) sauntered and stayed there and
then under instructions from the Teachers and Guides, moved
ahead.

"Moving on and on, the spirit soared up about 5 arab (1 arab =

1 billion) and 75 crores (1 crore = 10 million) jojans (really
incalculable height) and broke into the realm of Hahoot or
Mahasunn (in Sar Bachan, Prose, Part I, para 13, the word
Hahoot is used for Sunn, and not Maha-sunn) and sauntered
around it. How shall I describe it? For ten billion miles (again,
incalculable distance) there is utter darkness. How shall I
describe its depth, except to say that for one kharab (1 kharab
= 100 billion, i.e. incalculable extent) jojans, the soul
descended and yet its bottom could not be discovered; then
again it reversed and turned upward, and following the track
pointed by the sages, the spirit treaded that path and then it
was deemed improper to determine and find out the depth of
this dark region.

"The surat then moved on..."

("The Quintessential Discourse Radhasoami" -- Sar Bachan

Radhasoami, Poetry, Volume I, Translation by M. G. Gupta,
M.A., D.Litt. Former Member of the Faculty of Political
 Science, Allahabad University, Huma Books, Agra)

"Soamiji in his Discourses has said that his surat descended

into the dark regions of Maha-sunn but could neither locate
the bottom or the end of it nor did it feel it worthwhile to go
down any further. Thereafter, his surat [soul] adhering to the
signs as revealed to him by his Gurus ascended upwards.
Here Soamiji says that it was the inner Mercy of his Satguru
Tulsi Saheb and that of Maharaj Girdhari Das Ji [a successor
of Tulsi Sahib] whose Satsang he attended for a very long
period of time."

(Sant Gharib Das, disciple in the inner circle of Soami Ji,

commenting on the passage above in the book, "Anmol
Bachan")
 The Ascension of the Soul, Parts 4 and 5:
From the Whirlpool Vortex to Sach Khand

The Ascension of the Soul into Interior Regions of Light

and Sound, Parts 4 and 5: the Fourth Through the Eighth
Heavens

Initiation Into the Mysteries by a Living Master

 "Those who purify should bestow upon others from their
abundance of purity their own holiness: those who illuminate,
as possessing more luminous intelligence, duly receiving and
again shedding forth the light, and joyously filled with holy
brightness, should impart their own overflowing light to those
worthy of it; finally, those who make perfect, being skilled in
the mystical participations, should lead to that consummation
those who are perfected by the most holy Initiation of the
knowledge of holy things which they have contemplated." (The
Celestial Hierarchy, by Dionysius the Areopagite)

"When I arrived, I opened a Path and taught people about the

Way of Passage for those who are chosen and solitary, who
have known the Father and have pursued Truth." (Yeshua,
Dialogue of the Savior, a Gnostic Gospel in, The Nag
Hammadi Library)

"The world has never been without a Living Master. Beneath

all other impelling forces in the creation, spirituality is the
primary cause. That, and that alone, is the driving force that
always leaps up to join its Source. In every Living Being, from
tiny plant up to man, the spiritual flame of life is struggling
upward and onward toward its Source of Being, and this
process and this struggle must go on until the last speck of
dust returns to the central fires of Infinite Being.
 "The message of the Masters fills the world with hope, and at
the same time it offers a rational foundation for such hope. It
not only tells people what they should do, but it offers them a
definite method of doing it. In the march of the ages, cycle
after cycle, in every planet where human beings reside, the
great Masters are the Light-Bearers of that world. Until the
end of the ages, they will remain the friends and saviors of
those who struggle toward the Light." (Julian P. Johnson, Path
of the Masters)

There are several techniques described, the specific details of

which are taught to students of Sant Mat at the time of their
deeksha (initiation) into the practice: 1) developing a daily
routine, the habit of meditating at the same time or times each
day; 2) proper posture so that one is truly focused at the Third
Eye and remains alert and awake; 3) Manas Japa (Simran), a
mantra repetition of a sacred word or words done mentally; 4)
Manas Dhyan, the technique of mentally visualizing a form of
God or one's spiritual master; 5) Drshti Yoga, the technique of
focusing upon an Infinitesimal Point (Inner Light Meditation).
This Point will eventually blossom into inner Light or visions of
Light. One gazes into the middle of the darkness or the Light
one sees while in meditation. One passes from scene to
scene and vision to vision always looking toward the center; 6)
Nada Sadhana (Surat Shabd Yoga, Inner Sound Meditation),
 the practice of inner spiritual hearing; and, 7th) reaching the
State of Kaivalya: Oneness with the Supreme Being in the
Pure Conscious Realm. The ultimate goal is to merge into the
upper level of Kaivalya known as Sabdatita [Sabtatit] Pad –
the State beyond the Sound, the Ultimate Reality of God in the
Nirguna or Formless State, also described with terms such as
Radhasoami (Lord of the Soul), Anami (The Nameless One),
Anadi Purush (The Soundlessness One), and Ocean of Love.

THE FOURTH REGION

Bhanwar Gupha

Whirling Cave Vortex

Ana-HU: "I Am He!" (in Sufism) -- So-Hang: "I Am That!"

(in the Sant Tradition)

"The spirit, thereafter, went to Hootal Hoot, which, in Hindi,

has been described as Bhanwar Gupha. There is a rotating
swing here which all the time in subtle motion, and the spirits
ever swing on it. All round, there are innumerable spiritual
islands from which the sounds of 'Sohang Sohang' and 'Ana-
 Hoo Ana-Hoo' rise all the time. Spirit entities playfully and
rapturously enjoy these sounds. Whiffs of scents of various
kinds and sweet fragrance of sandal are enjoyed by the spirit
there and the melodies of flutes are heard, while it proceeds
onwards. Other characteristics of this region cannot be
reduced to writing, as they can be realized by the spirit only
when it reaches there after performing Abhyas [meditation
practices]."

-- Shiv Dayal Singh, Hidayatnama (Esoteric Teachings, Sar

Bachan Radhasoami Poetry, Book One)

Upon arriving in Bhanwar Gupha, the soul's nirat (power to

see) and surat (capacity to hear) attain a state of satisfaction
(Julian P. Johnson, 1953). This contentment, according to Shiv
Dayal Singh's account, is due to perceiving a most intriguing
and wondrous structure within the Rukmini tunnel in the
entrance to the fourth region. Exactly what this sight is has not
been explained by any Radhasoami saint in print. Like all
experiences in the upper regions it must be encountered first-
hand to be understood, not simply referenced in its decidedly
mythological analogies. Bhanwar Gupha is the funnel of the
entire creative process from Sach Khand downwards. Its very
name exhibits the tremendous power inherent within the
region: "whirling vortex". The lord of this realm is termed
Sohang ("I Am That"), a descriptive-mantric term which implies
 a conscious intuition on the part of the soul with its higher
identity.

The shabd currents in Bhanwar Gupha are so sweet and

enchanting, according to the Saints, that souls live entirely off
its invigorating nectar, desiring nothing but darshan of the
presiding lord and the manifestations of light and sound. Kabir,
the most famous of the medieval saints, describes in his
writings (or, at least, those attributed to his pen) how hansas
(pure spirits) live on spiritual dweeps (islands) with magnificent
palaces for transmundane enjoyment. Faqir Chand, in his
Yogic Philosophy of the Saints (1980), gives a more
psychological interpretation of the meditator's experiences in
the fourth region: "When in the course of meditation man
reaches this state of Bhanwar-Gupha he experiences that
there was none except his own self. This centre is compared
with Bhanwar which means whirl. At this centre a wheel
rotates like a cradle. It means that at this centre a wave
springs out of the surat of the meditator and again merges in
its own source, or say, it rotates around its own source and
produces the sound of Sohang-Flute. The Shabd of this centre
is so effective that the meditator enjoys the pleasure of being
one with the Supreme Soul."

(The Section Above is from the Book, "Enchanted Land",

by David Lane, MSAC Philosophy Group)
 THE FIFTH THROUGH EIGHTH REGIONS

Nirvana -- Kaivalya -- Oneness -- Sach Khand -- The True

Eternal Realm Divided Into Four Sub-sections:

5) Sat Lok (True Realm), Sat Naam (True Name), Sat

Purush (True Original Being)

6) Alakh Lok (Invisible Realm),

7) Agam Lok (Inaccessible Realm, Nearness,)

8) Anami (Nameless Realm), Radhasoami Lok --

Radhaswami Dham -- The Abode of the Lord of the Soul,
The Most High, Ultimate Reality, "The Eighth" -- Ocean of
Love -- Upper Level of Kaivalya known as Shabdatita
[Sabtatit] Pad -- Beyond the Sound and Light, the Ultimate
Reality of God in the Nirguna or Formless, Soundless
State

"On crossing this place, the spirit entity reached the outpost of
Sat Lok, where melodious sounds of 'Sat Sat' and 'Haq Haq'
were heard as though coming out of vina (harp). On hearing
this, the spirit penetrated further on rapturously. There rose to
 view the silver and golden streams full of nectar, and vast
gardens, each tree thereof is one crore yojans in height, and
crores of suns and moons hang from them as flowers and
fruits. Innumerable spirits and Hansas sing, chatter, and play
on those trees like birds. The wondrous beauty of this region
is ineffable. While enjoying it, the spirit entered Sat Lok and
came into the presence of Sat Purush. Now as regards the
glory of the person of Sat Purush, each hair of His is so
brilliant that crores of suns and moons look pale in
comparison. How may one describe His eyes, nose, ears,
face, hands, and feet; They are all nothing but refulgence,
even to describe them as oceans of light does not give the
remotest idea adequately. After witnessing the glory of this
region the spirit proceeded on to Alakh Lok and got darshan of
Alakh Purush. Thereafter the spirit entity went on and attained
Agam Lok. The spirit entity sojourned there a long time and on
going beyond, it got the darshan of Radhasoami, that is,
Anami Purush, and merged in Him. Radhasoami Dham is
boundless, infinite, endless and immeasurable. It is the Nij
Sthan, the special resting place of Sants (Faqirs). That region
is the Ultima Thule of all Sants, and all speech and description
end here."

-- Shiv Dayal Singh, Hidayatnama (Esoteric Teachings, Sar

Bachan Radhasoami Poetry, Book One)
 Though it has been a long time coming, the soul after
traversing the lower realms finally reaches its real home, Sach
Khand (true region), where even the subtlest duality between
the spirit and God are transcended. The Supreme Being, Sat-
Chit-Ananda (Truth, Existence, Bliss), is found in Its pure form
only in this region, the saints stress. All of the previous planes
of existence are but reflections of this infinite abode (Shiv
Dayal Singh, 1970).

On being admitted to Sat Purush's court, the soul revels in

delight, for the inner guru has delivered what he promised:
God realization. However, a curious thing happens when the
student beholds the Supreme Lord for the first time; the guru
is seen as not different from Sat Purush, but rather they are
one and inseparable. All along it was not just a human being
or an inner spirit guiding the yearning soul but, according to
the Saints, the Absolute itself.

Now, at this crucial transformation, the student realizes the

Supreme Truth that he/she is also not separate from the divine
master or the Lord but in eternal unity with them. This
enlightenment, unlike the partial glimpses of insight in the
intermediary realms, is permanent and lasting; it is the very
root of all manifestations, projections, and creations. One
without a second; infinity without measure.
 Although Sach Khand is the last and final stage, according to
the Saints, there are three further levels within it of
intensification: alakh (invisible), agam (inaccessible), and
anami (nameless). Upon merging with Sat Purush, the spirit is
taken up further into the very depths of the Absolute,
experiencing what no words or approximations can adequately
describe. Shiv Dayal Singh (1970) says it is but "wonder,
wonder, wonder; wonder hath assumed a form." Faqir Chand,
in this usual iconoclastic manner, describes the highest state
as follows: "Beyond Agam is only realization. I do know that
there is something in me that listens to the Supreme Shabd.
What is that? That I do not know... I used to listen to bells,
thunders, and vina, but now I listen only to one sound, which
is an unbreakable tune, about which I cannot say any word. It
is what it is. Now at this age of ninety two years I do not care
for the Sound and Light too. Why? Because Light is seen by
Me (Sat Purush/Anami) and Sound is heard by Me. Then who
is great? Light or Sound or He who sees it and listens to it? So
far, my realization is concerned, the bubble will merge in the
ocean. Light will merge in the Light...." (Faqir Chand, 1978)

According to the Saints it should be remembered that Sat

Purush is not some mysterious God which is vastly greater
than our limited selves. Rather, it is, in the most profound
sense, our very beings. We are not less than it, nor greater
than it... we are it. No subject, no object, just pure unqualified
 Being in an Ocean of Infinite Creative Power. It may appear
that the Master and God are separate from the disciple, but in
truth they are but expressions of the same Whole, the same
One (Charan Singh, 1979).

(The Section Above is from the Book, "Enchanted Land",

by David Lane, MSAC Philosophy Group)

"In summary, one grasps the central Sounds of the lower

realms and progressively is drawn upward to the Sounds of
the higher realms. Ultimately, one reaches the center of the
Original Sound, the Essential Divine Sound, and thereafter
attains the Ultimate State, Sabdatita [Sabtatit] Pad (the State
beyond the Sound). The Yoga of Sound [Surat Shabd Yoga
Meditation] must be practiced in order to attain the Nameless
State. This is fully elaborated and described in the
Upanishads and literature of the saints. The Yoga of Sound is
the only medium to reach this State, no other. The greatest
good is in the attainment of the Ultimate State, the Nameless
State." (Maharshi Mehi Paramhans, Philosophy Of Liberation)

"The State beyond Sound is acknowledged in the writings of

saints as the goal of their teachings. In addition, their writings
accept Manas Japa (repetition of a Divine name [simran]),
 Manas Dhyan (concentration on a form of the Divine), Drshti
Yoga (fixing the mind on a Point [accessing the Third Eye
Center and inner Light]) and Nada-nusandhana (concentrating
on the inner Sounds of the different spheres) as means to
reach the Soundless State. These four techniques are
therefore essential in Sant Mat." (Maharshi Mehi Paramhans,
Philosophy Of Liberation)

It is All Love, So Says Radhasoami

In the Sar Bachan are hymns of praise, conversational prayers

directed towards the Friend, the Beloved, the Object of his
Communion, the Lover of his soul: the Merciful Lord of the
Soul: Radhasoami Dayal. In this loving context of devotional
Bhakti, mystical experiences (Surat Shabd Yoga, Divine Light
and Sound of God) take the devotee-soul upon an interior
journey beyond illusion, beyond time and duality, to an
Ultimate Reality, the Ocean of Love, Soami Ji Maharaj
describes as "Omnipotent, Omniscient and Omnipresent with
attributes of Grace, Mercy, Love, Bliss and Peace."

Says Soami Ji: "I hear the sonorous sounds of bell and conch-
shell which resonate and reverberate (in Sahasdal Kanwal),
and I hear the melodious and wondrous sounds of been (harp
in Sat Lok) and flute (or bansuri in Bhanwar Gupha). The tune
and rhythm of drums (mridang) and fiddle, reverberations and
the sound of kettledrum and tabor resonates every moment.
The ambrosial rain falls in a thousand currents and the
heavenly sphere (gagan mandal) revolves like a wheel. I go
round and round (ghoomland), losing all my strength and ego
and becoming utterly humble and dependent upon the Lord,
so that the sheen of my doxology becomes intense and
scintillating. The atmosphere that is created beggars
description, and all the satsangis (initiates, gathering of
devotees) join together in singing the doxology. Diamonds and
rubies are being showered all around as propitiatory offering;
the strings of pearls and quartz are being interwoven.

"I behold Radhasoami every moment. I have now completed

this doxology! 0 Lord! Confer upon me your grace (prasad)
which basically is ambrosia (and which will immortalize me,
putting me beyond the ken of decay, decline and death). I am
now unfurling the banner (flag) of love in the Heavenly
Spheres of Three Prominences (Trikuli or Gagan) where the
resonance of anhad shabd emanates from the Inaccessible
Sphere.

"In those islands, the lakes of ambrosia are full to the brim and
the hamsas there have the glimpses of Sat Purush for their
nourishment (substance that nourishes; food, nutrient). There
every time, there is a new sport (lila); how shall I speak of the
majesty and grandeur thereof? Beyond that, the Alakh
(Invisible) Sphere has been carved out, and there the surat
goes, abandoning the non-Self ('I-ness' or ego or aapaa).

"How shall I admire the splendour and lustre of Alakh Purush?

Billions and trillions of moons and suns feel humble and
humiliated and are put to shame for they are all surpassed by
the glory of Alakh Purush and feel disgraced. The surat
acquires such a brilliant form there that crores of suns cannot
do justice to its mien and beautiful aspect (chhabi).

"Then the surat steps forward and goes to perceive the Agam
Lok (the Inaccessible Sphere). The sheen and lustre (shobha)
of the Inaccessible Purush is peculiar, wholly distinct, for His
brilliance and shine excels the light of trillions of suns.

"Beyond that is the Nameless One (Purush Anami), who is

called as indescribable and Infinite (akeh and apaar). None
can go there save the saints, who have termed it their own,
original, eternal abode. 0 Lord (Soami)!

"Radhasoami, I adore and adulate you, for you have revealed

to me the Mystery."
 Swami Ji Maharaj says, "From one step to another the soul
beholds strange things which cannot be described in human
language. Every region and everything is utterly beyond
words. What beauty and glory! How can I describe them?
There is nothing here to convey the idea. I am helpless... Love
plays the supreme part. It is all love. So says RADHASOAMI."
(Sant Radhasoami Sahib)

Ingredients of a Living Spiritual Path -- Gnostic-Sant Mat

Parallels

In the Corpus Hermeticum and Nag Hammadi scriptures

are/were described all of the ingredients of a living, viable
mystical path:

1) living masters/teachers with students (past masters, scrolls,

cuneiform tablets or old scriptures are not enough; a living
guide is required);

2) a cosmology of several heavens/inner

regions/planes/spheres;
3) an understanding that souls can access these realms here
and now during this present life (a present-tense Kingdom of
Heaven available to souls right now, not a spirituality
postponed till some magical date on a calendar or
hypothesized future age);

4) an initiation into the mysteries of the heavens, imparting to

spiritual seekers the meditation techniques and sacred names;

5) visionary and auditory mysticism (inner Light and Sound,

spiritual seeing and hearing) -- descriptions of souls traveling
within through various inner regions;

6) they have an ethical code, and this ethical foundation

includes a vegetarian diet, then and now;

7) The Goal of the teachings and meditation practice is

experiencing direct union with God.
The Goal of Sant Mat Spirituality and Meditation: Our Path
Back to the Source -- The Inward Journey Back to God

Sant Mat (the path and teachings as taught and practiced by

Saints [Sant Satgurus]) delineates the path of union of soul
with God. The teachings of the saints explain the re-uniting as
follows:

"The individual soul has descended from the higher worlds

[the Realm of the Divine] to this city of illusion, bodily
existence. It has descended from the Soundless State to the
essence of Sound, from that Sound to Light, and finally from
the realm of Light to the realm of Darkness. The qualities
(dharmas, natural tendencies) of the sense organs draw us
downward and away from our true nature.

"The nature of the soul (atman) draws us upwards and

inwards and establishes us in our own true nature. Returning
to our origins involves turning inward: withdrawal of
consciousness from the senses and the sense objects in
order to go upward from the darkness to the realms of Light
and Sound. [We experience this phenomenon of withdrawal
as we pass from waking consciousness to deep sleep.]
Another way to express this is to go inward from the external
sense organs to the depth of the inner self. (Both of these
 expressions are the metaphors that signify the same
movement). The natural tendencies of the soul (atman) are to
move from outward to inward. The current of consciousness
which is dispersed in the nine gates of the body and the
senses, must be collected at the tenth gate.

"The tenth gate is the gathering point of consciousness.

Therein lies the path for our return. The tenth gate is also
known as the sixth chakra, the third eye, bindu, the center
located between the two eyebrows. This is the gateway
through which we leave the gates of the sense organs and
enter in the divine realms and finally become established in
the soul. We travel back from the Realm of Darkness to the
Realm of Light, from the Light to the Divine Sound, and from
the Realm of Sound to the Soundless State. This is called
turning back to the Source.

"This is what dharma or religion really intends to teach us.

This is the essence of dharma." (Swami Santsevi Ji Maharaj,
Harmony Of All Religions)
 Also See: Charts of the Heavens -- Inner Regions --
Planes -- Levels -- Spheres of Creation According to Sant
Mat:

https://SantMatRadhasoami.Blogspot.com/2019/01/charts-of-heavens-sant-mat-and-
gnostic.html