Sant Mat Radio  

The September Inner Light and Sound Satsang Podcast! Guru Kabir says, "The imaginations of the mind are just as innumerable as the innumerable waves of an ocean. If somehow this mind can become quiet by itself, attainment of the true Knowledge-like Diamond will become easily possible (everyone in this world is sad or restless because of lack of Knowledge. This true Knowledge can be attained only when the mind becomes quiet)." One of the effects of adhering to the ahimsa ethics of the Masters is a reduction in tension, in agitation of mind. The program begins with sixty seconds from an old recording of a Bhajan (chant) of Baba Somanath (disciple of Huzur Baba Sawan Singh), which is quite haunting and otherworldly. Then there is a reading from an ancient Hermetic-Gnostic text from Egypt titled, The Greatest Human Evil is Unacquaintance With God, followed by satsang readings from: The Bijak of Guru Kabir Volume Two (The Shabdas); The Bijak of Guru Kabir Volume One (The Ramainis); The Saakhi Granth of Guru Kabir; Songs of Kabir, by Rabindranath Tagore. The Bijak and Saakhi Granth of Kabir have always been considered primary texts of Sant Mat, and are genuine "Satsang Templates" providing a holistic approach to life on earth following the Path of the Masters. Other readings are from: The Philosophy of Liberation (Moksha Darshan) by Maharsihi Mehi Paramahansa Ji Maharaj; a Shabd in contemporary English from a recent translation of the Sar Bachan Radhasoami Poetry Volume Two, by Swami Ji Maharaj; a list of essential Sant Mat principals and techniques for a successful spiritual journey, a Bhajan (chant, hymn from India) by Guru Arjan Dev, and a meditative Bhajan of Sant Surdas titled, "Hai Govind." Additional unlicensed music comes courtesy of my musician friend Paul Alexandre John, who performs Indian classical ragas playing the Bansuri flute, giving me permission to make use of his music on the air. Peace, Jai Guru, James, James@SpiritualAwakeningRadio.com

The August Sant Mat Satsang Podcast, By James Bean: Often a spiritual path coming from one cultural context and language is not fully understood by those from afar in another part of globe. Of course those with a heavy-handed "new age" perspective seeking to impose their own spin on the teachings of others, unnaturally mixing Sant Mat with countless other techniques, paths and practices instead of respecting the Path on it's own traditional terms, simply adds to the misunderstanding and confusion, and I would argue, is a form of Western colonial imperialism that thinks it knows best, when in fact, it does not! Genuine Sant Mat (The Path of the Masters) in it's traditional Indian context has much wisdom to offer about life in-the-body, and not only about out-of-body travel during meditation. The Masters do have much guidance to share about those 22 hours each day that take place between meditation sits! A life limited to action alone is missing literally many other dimensions, yet a life of only contemplation would not fully be alive either. The Eastern Vision is to live a life of both contemplation and action, to be open to all states, physical, dream state, unconscious, and spiritual states. Hear Bhajans of Kabir and Jayadeva. Readings are from the following sources: Sar Bachan Radhasoami Prose, by Swami Ji Maharaj; Sar Bachan Radhasoami Poetry (the Forgotten or "Lost Gnostic Gospel" of Sant Mat), by Swami Ji Maharaj, both volumes translated by S.D. Maheshwari, Agra; An Ahimsa Prayer of Ramesvarananda Sahab found in the book, Praises to a Formless God, by David Lorenzen; The Dawn of the Third Millennium by Kirpal Singh; Prem Patra Radhasoami, by Huzur Maharaj Rai Saligram, Agra; The Philosophy of Liberation, by Maharshi Mehi; The Five Precepts; and from the chapter on Right-Speech from an ethical manual of the Sants known as the Saakhi Granth of Guru Kabir, translated into English by Kunwar Anil Kumar, in, 1008 Kabir Vani, Manoj Publications, New Delhi, India.

July Sant Mat Satsang PODcast: Mystic-Poetry (Bhajans) - Readings from The Adi Granth and from the Dadu Panch Vani: verses from Sant Dadu Dayal; the article: "Do Simran -- Do the Meditation", by Swami Sant Harinandan Baba, translated from Hindi into English by Pravesh Kumar Singh; The Ethical Foundation of Sant Mat: The Five Precepts and Meditation Requirements; a reading from a quintessential manual of Sant Mat teachings and practice known as, "The Philosophy of Liberation", by Sant Maharshi Mehi on: the inner spiritual technology, steps, stages, and stairway of heaven known as "The Eight Limbs of Yoga": YAMA: satya (truthfulness), ahimsa (non-violence in thought, word, and deed), asteya (non-stealing), brahmacarya (continence), and aparigraha (control of greed -- non-possessiveness). NIYAMA also consists of five practices: sauca (internal and external purity), santosha (contentment), tapas (penance), svadhyaya (study of scriptures and wisdom of the Sants), and isvara pranidhana (meditation on GOD); ASANA: correct posture in meditation; PRANAYAMA or breath control, which is, for the most part, not emphasized in contemporary Sant Mat Meditation; PRATYAHARA: withdrawal or sensory transcendence, as well as it means to bring back, as in refocusing oneself again whenever one notices that one has lost focus during their meditation sit; DHARANA: an increment of time characterized as quality meditation -- good concentration; DHYANA: one-pointed attention, stillness, also meaning true meditation or contemplation - not to be confused with the term "Dhyan" (visualizing or seeing the form of a Master, though of course that too is part of, or a stage of, traditional Sant Mat Meditation); SAMADHI: the bliss of being completely absorbed in meditation, unity, union with God, oneness. There are also readings on Amrit Veela/Brahmamuhurta/The Hour of God, and a list of some of the Sounds of Surat Shabd Yoga. Sat Naam, Jai Guru, Radhaswami, James James@SpiritualAwakeningRadio.com

June Sant Mat Satsang PODcast: A Bhajan (hymn) of Mirabai, a reading from, The Last Discourse of Soami Ji Maharaj of Agra about Huzur Maharaj (Rai Salig Ram), a thirty-minute reading from, Radhasoami Faith - A Historical Study, authored by Agam Prasad Mathur (Dada Ji) of Agra, India, featuring excerpts from Chapter Five: a most excellent summary of the Spiritual Teachings and Goals of Sant Mat Mysticism, the Path of the Masters, on: The Creation (Planes, Grand Divisions or Levels), The Supreme Being, Origin of Evil - The Concept of Kal Niranjan (Gnostic Demiurge or Negative Power/Lord of the Matrix of Illusion), The Soul (Surat, Spirit Entity), Salvation (Moksha) of the soul, The Four Essentials or "Sats" of Sant Mat: Sat Shabd/Sat Naam (True Eternal Sound Current or Positive Power of God), Satguru (True Eternal Teacher), Sat Anurag (True Eternal Love), and Satsang (True Eternal Association). After that a short reading titled, The Principles of Santmat: on the nature of God, the soul, our condition as a jiva-soul at the level of the physical plane, the practices of Sant Mat Meditation, the ethical Precepts of Ahimsa, and the requirements in order to attain liberation (Moksha). The program concludes with chant from the Morning Prayer (Jap Ji) of Guru Nanak. Jai Guru, Namaste, James SantMatMysticism@gmail.com

May Sant Mat Radio Satsang Podcast: Readings from the Dasam Granth, a Bhajan of Guru Kabir, The Four Meditation Practices of Sant Mat, Encyclopaedia of Saints of India, Volume 19: Radhasoami - on the practice of Dhyan - contemplation of the form of the Master - also about Inner Light and the Radiant Form of the Master (Inner Guide), Two Reflections on the Spiritual Journey: 1) 'There is No Vatican of the Spirit', and 2) 'Do You Remember Who You Were Before Time Began?' and, Readings from the Sant Dariya Website about the Life and Teachings of Sant Dariya Sahib - also mentioning that Sant Dariya appointed two spiritual successors/Sat Gurus to carry on after him, and that this Dariya Branch of Sant Mat is still alive, still exists in India, and has "two hundred Sants" according to the webmaster of the Sant Dariya website. The program concludes with a couple of bhajans of Guru Kabir. In the Love, Light, and Sound of the Beloved Sat Purush, James, Sant Mat Fellowship: James@SpiritualAwakeningRadio.com

March Sant Mat Radio Satsang: Know Thyself: A wide variety of readings from the writings of the Sant tradition on knowing one's Self and God, the recitation of several bhajans (mystical hymns, devotional poems) from recent or classic Sants including from the Adi Granth, Dasam Granth, Huzur Maharaj (Rai Saligram); also the theme of knowing yourself found in, The Bijak of Kabir, Saakhi Granth of Kabir, The Stranger of Galilee by Russell Perkins (who has some great passages from Kirpal Singh), also a couple of selections from the sayings of Lord Mahavira (Jainism) and the Gospel of Thomas (Gnostic); a Bhakti Approach to Simran (Radhasoami Naam) according to the Founder of the Radhasoami Faith. Satsang is an Eastern term used by Indian spiritual paths including Sant Mat for a meeting or spiritual gathering either facilitated by a living Master (Sant Sat Guru), representative or group leader affiliated with such a living teacher. The facilitator reads from the writings of various Masters, perhaps making some comments. The focus is always the words and the wisdom of the Masters about the essential truths of the spiritual journey, knowing God, Bhakti (love and devotion), right conduct and ahimsa (non-violence in thought, word and deed), effective meditation practice: Soul Travel: Surat Shabd Yoga: Inner Light and Sound Meditation, the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God or Inner Space.