Contemporary Sant Mat movements

Sant Mat (or Path of the Masters) is an esoteric religious movement active in the United States, Europe, Latin America, and especially India. Sant Mat shares a lineage with Sikhism and contains elements of thought found in Hinduism, such as karma and reincarnation. Some parties consider it to have been formally established by Shiv Dayal Singh of Agra (1818–1878). The tradition has inspired and influenced a number of other religious groups and organizations.

Introduction

The basic teaching of Sant Mat, as described by one of its contemporary Masters, is that everything lies inside us and if we are to find God, He is within. The outside world is only an image or a reflection of the inner reality [1]. So self knowledge or knowledge of the higher self, and also God-knowledge taken as a practical project rather than a theoretical inquiry, are the topics of Sant Mat. [2]

Sant Mat is a synonym for Surat Shabd Yoga, the yoga of the Sound Current, or more simply Shabd yoga, a meditation technique taught and practiced originally in northern India. [35]

Practitioners of shabd yoga position the path as not requiring the physical torture of penance and austerities that marked many of the yogas and spiritual paths throughout the ages. Thus it is sometimes called "Sehaj" (easy) yoga. [5]

Widely accepted translations of the Indian term "Sant Mat" are "Way of the Saints" and "Path of the Masters." These are both incidentally the titles of prominent works on the subject. [3] [4]. Another commonly accepted definition of the term is found in [Man Know Thyself] by Sant Kirpal Singh:

Man is constantly changing or introducing new names and terminologies to describe this Science. The Masters were called Sants, and the nature of knowledge Mat, thus giving us the term 'Sant-Mat', which is at present mostly used to name the Path of the Masters. Other terms, such as Shabd Yoga, Surat Shabd Yoga, Sehaj Yoga, are also used to describe the same Science. In the Sanskrit language, the word 'Sant' means Master of the highest Order, and 'Mat' is a confirmed opinion or statement made by an adept after personal experience. The foundation of this Science, therefore, is the result of a critical study, minute investigation, and the lifelong personal verification of facts based on practical experience of the Self in man. This experience of the Self is something that a competent Master is prepared to give to each individual who approaches him. Sant Mat, therefore, is the teaching, system and path of the Saints. [5]

However, terminology, names, and groups are not considered to be of any importance in Sant Mat:

The Masters do not attach any importance to names, designations, or the fact that many religious sects, groups and circles, have claimed this Science as their own and named it after their leaders or founders. They look upon these groups as schools where man—the noblest being in Creation—can study with other men as children of one and the same Almighty Father.[5]

Geographical Reach

Sant Mat while virtually unknown outside India prior to the 1960s, has since spread around the world, initially to Europe, then Latin America and the United States. Sant Kirpal Singh visited Europe and the United States in 1955 and 1963, and Europe, America, and Latin America in 1972.[14]

Sant Thakar Singh visited Germany for the first time in 1976, Mexico in 1977, and the USA in 1979. He also travelled with some regularity to South America, Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Taiwan, and Indonesia. He visited Russia in 1996--the first time any Sant Mat Master had ever ventured there. [36] However the vast majority of Sant Mat initiates reside in India. By his own estimate, Sant Thakar Singh initiated more than 2 million people between 1976 and 2005, and more than 1.5 million of these presently live in India. In February 2005 1.1 million people gathered in Pimpalner, India to see Sant Thakar Singh pass the mantle of Guruship to his successor, Sant Baljit Singh.

General Tenets

The most central tenet is the need to be initiated by a living Master or Satguru ("sat" meaning true and "guru" meaning Master or Spiritual Teacher). "Competent Master" is another common formulation: the Master must be competent in the sense of having been commissioned by God, not just a person who feels like working in the role of a guru:

It is a sad affair that there are thousands of imitators, of false copies, but it doesn't mean that the world is devoid of truth and that a Master is not available to the people...It has always been a law that at least one complete master would be on earth to bring God's truth to the people. One such Master can benefit the entire world just as one sun can glorify and light up the entire world. [16]

Technically speaking Sant Mat practice involves listening to the Inner Sound, contemplating the Inner Light, and (eventually) leaving the human body at will - a practice sometimes referred to as "dying while living". The principal intent is to awaken the Soul and unite it with God.[17] Sant Mat is a practical and not a theoretical investigation.[18]

Sant Mat claims to be different in a radical sense from other disciplines or kinds of knowledge which can be taught. It claims to be a meta-knowledge or method of going beyond knowledge and deprecates the mind and mental processes, at all times describing a dichotomy between the mind and the soul, in which the mind is only a negative copy or imitation of the soul.[22] The mind is to become still and quiet so that the soul can begin to experience itself.[23] The soul has its own internal sources of knowledge, and when properly connected to its inner sources, no outer education or knowledge is required or desired.[24]

The second essential tenet of Sant Mat is the mystical role of the Sound Current:

Prajapatir vai idam-agre asit Tasya vak dvitiya asit Vak vai Paramam Brahma

In the beginning was Prajapati (the Creator),
With Him was the Vak (the Word), And the Vak (the Word) was verily the
Supreme Brahma.

Compare this with the verses of John 1 John and the reader can begin to understand why Sant Mat makes special use of comparative religion (seeking the common thread in all religions within an underlying esoteric phenomena) and why the Word or Sound Current is of principle importance in Sant Mat. Naam or Word, written by Sant Kirpal Singh, explores this theme in great detail.

The Sound Current is the esoteric form of God which is available to human beings. The Guru, who is a human being, has merged with the Sound Current in such a manner that he is a living manifestation of it (the Word made flesh). However, not just the Guru can achieve this, but all human beings are inherently privileged in this way; indeed, in Sant Mat the raison d’être for the human form is to meditate on the Sound Current, and in so doing merge with it into oneness.

Practices

Functionally, the Master or Guru is provided by God as the channel through which He manifests in the world. We cannot know the absolute God at the mental level as that form is unknowable and inconcievable.[8] So God has created a way in which He can be available, even here, in the outside world of illusion, i.e., a manifestation that human beings can see, listen to, and understand prior to having found anything within: the Guru. Only the human form has the privilege both of bearing the manifestation of God and also of listening to and experiencing the presence of the Master as a phenomenon. The other forms of life on Earth are benefitted by the Master's presence, but only indirectly, as their forms have not been created for any purpose other than to glorify this world. They cannot appreciate God in manifest form; only human beings can do that.[25]

The Masters teach a spiritual path which is intentionally easier than others described in the ancient scriptures as it requires nothing more than sitting quietly and looking and listening within. (As mentioned, the term "Sehaj" yoga means "easy" or "middle" way.) Meditation is the prescribed medicine for our ills, and is to be taken liberally. A starting time factor of 10% of our twenty-four hour day is often the minimum suggested daily dose.[26]

Specifics of this process include connecting one’s soul or attention, called Surat (soul) with the inner Current of Light and Sound of God, the Shabd. This Sound Current cannot be heard by the uninitiated; it is made manifest at the time of initiation.[27] An essential component of the practice involves sitting still with eyes closed, with one's attention focused at the "third eye center", located between and behind the two eyebrows, while (mentally) repeating one or more mantras given by the Guru to the disciple at the time of initiation. This called simran (repetition) and its primary function is to still the mind while remembering (or being connected to) the Guru via the mantra he provided. However listening to the Sound Current by plugging the ears with the thumbs and listening at the right side or above is equally as important. Sound is considered to be the source of the Light, and to contain everything required. [28] In some situations 100% Sound meditation is employed. When Sant Thakar Singh was undergoing heart bypass surgery he requested all of his initiates to meditate 100% on Sound.[37]

The concept of Satsang is also a common thread in Sant Mat. Satsang means literally "gathering of Truth." These gatherings serve as the formal meeting place of the Master and his devotees when he is present in physical form, but also, more often, follow the tradition of early Christianity and take place in the homes of disciples or in any convenient location as times of remembrance of the Master and the need for meditation. [29]

Not everyone automatically qualifies for Initiation; many teachers require that prospective followers be spiritually “ready”. This was especially true in earlier times, when people had more time available. Very few people would come today for initiation if a five or ten year course of purification and service were required beforehand. [30] These days, the initiation comes first, to prove the efficacy of the path to the aspirant; he or she is then asked to maintain what they have been given via self-introspection. [31] There are definite criteria for judging whether or not a person is indeed ready for initiation: they must be ready to eshew drugs and alcohol, lead a disciplined and chaste lifestyle, avoid spiritual healing and other forms of meditation, and commit to several hours of meditation per day.[2]

Origins

"..It appears that Surat Shabd Yoga in one form or another was prevalent in the Upanishadic period of India." [10]

A translation of the Nada-Bindu Upanishad by K. Narayanasvami Aiyar contains the following verses:

..The Yogin being in the Siddhasana (posture) ...should always hear the internal sound through the right ear. The sound which he thus practises makes him deaf to all external sounds. ...In the beginning of his practice, he hears many loud sounds. They gradually increase in pitch and are heard more and more subtly. At first, the sounds are like those proceeding from the ocean, clouds, kettle-drum and cataracts; in the middle (stage) those proceeding from Mardala (a musical instrument), bell and horn. At the last stage, those proceeding from tinkling bells, flute, Vina (a musical instrument) and bees. Thus he hears many such sounds more and more subtle. When he comes to that stage when the sound of the great kettle-drum is being heard, he should try to distinguish only sounds more and more subtle. He may change his concentration from the gross sound to the subtle, or from the subtle to the gross, but he should not allow his mind to be diverted from them towards others. The mind having at first concentrated itself on any one sound fixes firmly to that and is absorbed in it. ...Being indifferent towards all objects, the Yogin having controlled his passions, should by continual practice concentrate his attention upon the sound which destroys the mind. Having abandoned all thoughts and being freed from all actions, he should always concentrate his attention on the sound and (then) his Chitta becomes absorbed in it..

These directions are similar to instructions passed on at the time of initiation to initiates from their Masters in most, if not all, Sant Mat groups.

Politics

There are many factions and rival "perfect masters" within the Sant Mat tradition [11], although this has nothing to do with the relative veracity of the teachings in themselves. Indeed, confusion about who is actually the true guru is a common thread in most if not all religious traditions: eventually, the Teacher leaves the scene. As in early Islam, where the death of the Prophet precipitated the schism that created the Shia-Sunni rift[12], or in Buddhism, where the transmission of the bowl and robe was a heated and highly contested process [13], so too, in Sant Mat one finds considerable confusion over who is the true guru.

Lineage is not a factor in determining the authenticity of a master, but can certainly pique the interest of those looking from the outside in at what is happening with a religious group or sect. [11a] Each group usually posits that its current leader is the true spiritual heir in the Sant Mat genealogy. However, there is an easy way to determine if a Sant Mat Master is competent. A true Sant Mat Guru can give first hand experience of the inner Light and Sound, as described in the scriptures going back to Sikh times. Anyone who can do this is commonly agreed upon to be a legitimate master, even if "others in the field" are also going about their business of making followers. [20]

There are incompatible views regarding the lineage of the proposed Sant Mat founder, Shiv Dayal Singh, because the tradition "went underground" for a time and was lost to history.[32] Ruhani Satsang, which was established by Sant Kirpal Singh in 1949, set the start of the Sant Mat movement even earlier than Shiv Dayal's time, asserting the existence of an unbroken line of spiritual succession starting with the poet saint Kabir, on to Guru Nanak and the other nine masters of the Sikh religion, and ultimately to Shiv Dayal Singh. Others deny this because the fate of the Tenth Sikh Guru, Gobind Singh, is not well understood by history. Some believed he died in the civil war raging at the time; Sant Kirpal Singh writes that this was not the case, and that Gobind Singh initiated one Ratnager Rao, a member of his household. Ratnager Rao initiated Tulsi Sahib, and Tulsi Sahib initiated Shiv Dayal Singh. [21]

Groups such as the Beas Satsang, the Tarn Taran Satsang, the Manavata Mandir Satsang and the Sarai Rohilla Satsang hold that Shiv Dayal Singh was but another saint in the tradition of Nanak and Kabir. The Radhasoami group (started by Rai Salig Ram, one of Shiv Dayal's three principle disciples) today holds that Shiv Dayal was unique in human history. I.e., they have started their own religion.

It is possible to view all of these events from the standpoint of socio-economic factors. As David Lane points out in his work on one of the offshoot Sant Mat sects, The Radhasoami Tradition,

"..guru succession is oftentimes a struggle over controlling theological doctrines, membership ranks, and property rights. Hence, gurus do not merely represent their own inner callings, but various material interests, ranging from the 'right interpretation' of Radhasoami teachings to the governance of sadhu and household members of outlying branches to ownership rights over inherited sacred property. With such larger 'worldly' issues at stake, it is little wonder that guru politics can turn into an ugly slugfest between sister-related communities. The decades long legal battle between Dayal Bagh and Soami Bagh over worship rights at Shiv Dayal Singh's samadh is perhaps the most graphic illustration of how social factors play a central part in succession contests."

However, what a doctor has for breakfast does not make any difference to his efficacy as a doctor. What a lawyer takes in his tea has no correlation to his skill in arguing a case. So what is essential to Sant Mat has nothing to so with studies of sociological or political reality as Sant Mat has no point in contact with these topics. Sant Mat does not even accept the reality of the physical world, not to talk about giving it weight or importance. [38] Anyone who is concerned with property rights, etc. is no longer doing Sant Mat as described by their own Masters except perhaps in name only.

Similar and Derivative Movements

The Sant Mat path has been compared variously to spiritual traditions followed by the Pythagoreans, Hermeticists, the Sethians, Theraputae, Essenes (and other mystics within Judaism), the original Jewish Christians, the Gnostic religions, Manichaeans, some Catholic monasteries, monasteries of the Orthodox Church -- including the great mystery school atop Mount Athos in Greece, and the Sufi mystics of Islam who practice Zikar of the Spirit, Light, and Sound.

The Quan Yin Method of meditation promoted though the spiritual teachings of Supreme Master Ching Hai also has notable similarities to Sant Mat. The religious movement Eckankar is considered by some to be an offshoot of the Sant Mat tradition. Paul Twitchell, who founded Eckankar, was an initiate of Sant Kirpal Singh. Dr. Reender Kranenborg, a religious scholar at the Free University in Amsterdam who specialized in new religious movements and Hinduism considers Maharaji/Prem Rawat's Elan Vital (formerly called Divine Light Mission) to be Sant Mat derivative. [35]

MasterPath is another contemporary American derivative of Surat Shabd Yoga, although it diverges from the norm by charging money for the teachings. [19] Its founder and current Living Master is Sri Gary Olsen, another Sant Kirpal Singh initiate. Although MasterPath does not describe itself as having a formal descendant lineage from the Sant Mat Masters, Olsen acknowledges them among several historical Satgurus as representatives for the eternal Inner Shabda Master, such as Lao Tsu, Jesus, Pythagoras, Socrates, Kabir, the Sufi Masters and mystic poets Hafiz and Rumi, the Ten Sikh Gurus beginning with Guru Nanak, Tulsi Sahib, and the Radhasoami/Radha Soami and offshoot Masters, including Shiv Dayal Singh, Sant Kirpal Singh and, particularly, Baba Sawan Singh. [33] [34]

References

[1] Singh, Thakar (1989). Newspaper interview, Lagos Nigeria. Reprinted in Heart Of Compassion, Kirpal Light Satsang, 1991 ISBN 0-917019-11-3

[2] Singh, Kirpal (1955). Night Is A Jungle, Ruhani Satsang Books. [Online_version].

[3] Singh, Kirpal (1976). The Way of the Saints: Sant Mat. Sant Bani ashram. ISBN: 0891420266.

[4] Johnson, Julian (1985). The Path of the Masters: The Science of Surat Shabd Yoga : The Yoga of the audible Life Stream. Radha Soami Satsang Beas. ISBN: 1199613274 (Originally published much earlier, perhaps in the 1950's.)

[5] Singh, Kirpal. Man Know Thyself. Ruhani Satsang Books. [Online_version]

[6] The Significance of a Living Master (2000). Video Tape Recording. Edition Naam USA. Interview with Sant Thakar Singh. 55 min.

[7] Singh, Kirpal (1960). Naam or Word. Ruhani Satsang, Delhi. [Online_version]

[8] Singh, Thakar (2002). The Way of Life 2002. Edition Naam USA. p. 54

[9]

[10] Lane, David.

[11] "Things are happening according to the planning of God, and the ordinary people cannot understand it. But when we go to the higher level, everything is crystal clear. When you go to the main officer, the main controller, you can find out what his plans are. But if you go to the servants or attendants, they cannot tell you what will really happen because they do not know the real plan or basic principles. So the people of this world [cannot know who the Master is.] They are too low in their understanding. What is to happen and what is going on is only known at the higher level of the soul." Singh, Thakar (2005). Live The Life Of Soul, Edition Naam USA. page 107-108.

[11a] The books and essays of Mark Juergensmeyer and David Lane give more information on this political aspect.

[12] News story with background on the Shia-Sunni rift.

[13] The Sutra of Hui Neng trans. A. F. Price and Wong Mou-Lam 1969. Autobiographical details on the Buddhist succession of the Sixth Patriarch.

[14] Ruhani Satsang USA website, Tour reports. [1]

[16] Singh, Thakar (1983). And You Will Fly Up To God, Collected Talks 1976-1981. Kirpal Light Satsang. (No ISBN)

[17] "My dear souls, I should call you souls because we are from God. It is told to us" 'Your soul bears the seal of God. It belongs to God, give it unto God.' These words from the Bible and other scriptures were told by God himself when he came into the human garb. He came because Man has been misled. God is the only one who has sympathy with these suffering souls. He wants to end their suffering: 'Come back to me. Enjoy perfection, as I am perfect.'" LTLOS, page 1.

[18] "The present day is an age of the practical life. People do not believe unless there is something practical. So we must have all our Truth in a practical way, and it will appeal to all. This Truth will prevail. Times are changing. This is the only thing that can appeal to everybody. This is the only ground on which all of us can sit together. So I wish each one of you to be practical. Do not try to reform others. Reform your own self." LOK The Ocean of Intoxication.

[19] "The monthly membership dues are $25. The initial mailing includes an introductory audio tape, MasterPath general information, and video tape of the Master...If you decide to sincerely investigate this Path, please be willing to give this investigation at least two years for you and the Master to “check each other out,” and the Master will work with you during that time. In this way you can allow the love of the Path to reveal itself to you." From The MasterPath website. Voluntary donations are common in Sant Mat; monthly membership dues and a two year preliminary "investment" is a more unusual circumstance.

[20]

[21] Singh, Kirpal (1984). Light Of Kirpal, Sant Bani Press. Online Version.

[22] "Anyone whose soul is under the mind's influence and control becomes an image of the mind, for he forgets his true self. We call this ego or I-hood for one thinks 'I am everything.' Yet, one does not know that true 'I.' If one has forgotten one's true Self, then who is it that will realize the Lord?" LOK Oh Mind, Listen For Once.

[23] "Once, I remember, a very learned pundit came to our Master. I was there. He had a talk with my Master. At the end he said, "Will you kindly initiate me?" He was initiated. Then he told the Master, "Master, I will become proficient within three months. I'll do everything You say and come back." Master said, "All right, what more is wanted?" He came back after six months, and fortunately I was there because I had the privilege to be back with the Master. He said, "Master, previously l had been putting in eight hours a day in worship, and my mind never disturbed me. Now I cannot sit for a moment." You see? It is because in the outward performances, the mind gets food. You light the candle, you offer flowers, then you do this and that. The mind gets food. But in this way, the mind meets its death. He would prefer to go into the mouth of a cannon rather than enter within." LOK Are You The Servant Of Your Mind?

[24]

[25]

[26]

[27]

[28]

[29]

[30] Singh, Thakar (2002). Video Taped talk given at Lighthouse Center, Oregon July 30th 2002 (Evening). Audio Online.

[31]

[32] LOK Online version, "True Temple is The Man Body".

[33] Holtje, D. (1995). From Light to Sound: The Spiritual Progression. Temecula, CA: MasterPath, Inc. ISBN 1885949006

[35] Kranenborg, Reender (Dutch language) Neohindoeïstische bewegingen in Nederland : een encyclopedisch overzicht, published by Kampen Kok cop. (2002) ISBN 9043504939

[34] Olsen, G. (1999). MasterPath: The Divine Science of Light and Sound, (Vol. 1). Temecula, CA: MasterPath, Inc. ISBN 1885949014

[35] Singh, K. (1999). Naam or Word. Blaine, WA: Ruhani Satsang Books. ISBN 0942735943

[36] Know Thyself As Soul Foundation (2005). A Tribute To Sant Thakar Singh. Pictures of Russian visit.

[37] Jan 2004. Personal communication with Ramona Gallager, Sant Thakar Singh's Northeast Regional Representative.

[38]