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Surat Shabd YogaSurat Shabd Yoga or Surat Shabda Yoga is a form of spiritual practicethat is followed in the Sant Matand many other related spiritual traditions. As a Sanskritterm, surat means "soul," shabd means "word" and yoga means "union." The term "word" means the ?Sound Current,? the ?Audible Life Stream? or the ?Essence of the Absolute Supreme Being,? that is, the dynamic force of creative energy that was sent out, as sound vibration, from the Supreme Being into the abyss of space at the dawn of the universe's manifestation, and that is being sent forth, through the ages, framing all things that constitute and inhabit the universe.[{{fullurl:Template:FULLPAGENAME}}#endnote_SHABD]. The etymology of "Surat Shabda Yoga" presents its purpose: the "Union of the Soul with the Essence of the Absolute Supreme Being." Other expressions for Surat Shabda Yoga include Sehaj Yoga (an easy path leading to Sehaj or equipoise) The Path of Light and Sound, The Path of the Saints, The Journey of Soul, and The Yoga of the Sound Current.
Basic principlesThe stated purpose of Surat Shabda Yoga is to realize the individual's True Self (Self-Realization), True Essence (Spirit-Realization) and True Divinity (God-Realization) while living in the humanphysical body. This Journey of Soul involves reuniting in stages with what is called the Essence of the Absolute Supreme Being, the Shabd. Attaining self-realization and above also results in jivan moksha/mukti, liberation/release from samsara, the cycle of karmaand reincarnationwhile in the physical body. Initiationby an Outer Living Satguru(Sat - true, Guru- teacher) is required, and involves reactivating the Shabd and stationing the Inner Shabda Master (the Radiant Form of the Master) at the third eye(tisra til) chakra. The spiritual exercises (sadhanas) include simran(repetition, particularly silent repetition of a mantragiven at initiation), dhyan (concentration, viewing, or contemplation, particularly on the Inner Master), and bhajan(listening to the inner sounds of the Shabda or the Shabda Master). Surat Shabd Yoga cosmologydepicts the whole of creation (the macrocosm) as being emanatedand arranged in a spiritually differentiated hierarchy, often referred to as eggs, regions, or planes. Typically, eight spiritual levels are described above the physical plane, although names and subdivisions within these levels will vary to some extent by movement and Master. In this arrangement, Self-Realization is attainted in the third heaven level, Daswan Dwar, Spirit-Realization is attained in the fourth heaven level, Bhanwar Gupha, and God-Realization is attained in the fifth heaven level, Sach Kand (Sat Lok). (One version of the creation from a Surat Shabda Yoga perspective is depicted at the Sant Ajaib Singh Ji Memorial Site [{{fullurl:Template:FULLPAGENAME}}#endnote_All_Creation]). All planes below the purely spiritual regions are subject to cycles of creationand dissolution (pralya) or grand dissolution (maha pralya). This cosmology presents the constitution of the initiate (the microcosm) as an exact replica of the macrocosm. Consequently, the microcosm consists of a number of bodies, each one suited to interact with its corresponding plane or region in the macrocosm. These bodies developed over the yugasthrough involution(emanatingfrom higher planes to lower planes) and evolution(returning from lower planes to higher planes), including by karma and reincarnation in various statesof consciousness. The Path of Light and Sound involves the initiate traveling the microcosm dharmiclyin consciousness (soul) with the guidance and protection of the Outer Living Master in the physical world and the Inner Shabd Master in the higher worlds until the regions of pure spirituality are reached and God-Realization is attained. Movements and mastersMain articles: Sant Matand Radha Soami Adherents believe Surat Shabda Yoga has been expressed through the movements of many different masters. However, because a basic principle of Surat Shabd Yoga's tradition is the requirement for an outer Living Master to initiate followers onto the Path, those movements whose historical Satgurus have died and their successors do not purport themselves to be Surat Shabd Yoga Satgurus, usually are not considered currently to be Surat Shabd Yoga movements, either by their own leaders or by movements with current Living Masters. The Sant Mat(Radhasoami) movement of Surat Shabda Yoga was established by Shiv Dayal Singh(1818-1878) in 1861 and named "Radhasoami Satsang" circa 1866. Soamiji Maharaj, as he was known, presided over the satsangmeetings for seventeen years at Panni Gali and Soami Bagh in Agra, India, until he died on June 15, 1878. [{{fullurl:Template:FULLPAGENAME}}#endnote_BirthDeath] Accounts of his guru and successors vary, although he did give verbal instructions on his last day as to how his followers should be cared for. [{{fullurl:Template:FULLPAGENAME}}#endnote_LastWishes] According to Radha Soami Satsang Beas, his guru was Tulsi Sahib of Hathras. According to Soami Bagh and Dayal Bagh successors, Tulsi Sahib [{{fullurl:Template:FULLPAGENAME}}#endnote_TulsiSahib] was a contemporary guru of the same teachings, but being a natural born Satguru, Shiv Dayal Singh himself had no guru. After his death, six immediate successors carried on Shiv Dayal Singh?s teachings, including Huzur Maharaj Rai Salig Ram of Peepal Mandi, Agra, and Babaji Maharaj Jaimal Singh of Dera Baba Jaimal Singh, Beas. A chart of the larger successor lineages helps show the connections among many of the contemporary Sant Mat guru lines and branches. [{{fullurl:Template:FULLPAGENAME}}#endnote_GuruLines] More information on living masters related to Shiv Dayal Singh's lineage can be found in the Sant Matarticle. Sant Kirpal Singh, a Sant Mat guru, stated that "Naam" ("Word") has been described in many traditions through the use of several different terms. In his teachings [{{fullurl:Template:FULLPAGENAME}}#endnote_Naam_or_Word], the following expressions are interpreted as being identical to "Naam":
Sant Mat also has notable similarities to the more contemporary Quan Yin Methodof meditation promoted thought the spiritual teachings of Supreme Master Ching Hai. The somewhat controversial religious movement Eckankaris considered by many, including David Lane, to be an offshoot of the Sant Mat tradition. Dr. Reender Kranenborg, a religious scholarat the Free University in Amsterdamwho specialized in new religious movements and Hinduism considers Maharaji/Prem Rawat's Elan Vital(formerly called Divine Light Mission) to be a Sant Mat derivative. MasterPath is a contemporary American movement of Surat Shabda Yoga. [{{fullurl:Template:FULLPAGENAME}}#endnote_Holtje] The founder and current Living Master, Sri Gary Olsen, contends that several historical figures are Sat Gurusof Surat Shabda Yoga as representatives for the eternal Inner Shabda Master. A few of these Living Masters of their times include Lao Tsu, Jesus, Pythagoras, Socrates, Kabir, the SufiMasters and mystic poets Hafezand Rumi, the Ten Sikh Gurusbeginning with Guru Nanak, Tulsi Sahib, and the Radhasoami/Radha Soami and offshoot Masters, including Shiv Dayal Singh, Baba Sawan Singhand Sant Kirpal Singh. [{{fullurl:Template:FULLPAGENAME}}#endnote_Olsen] Variations in movementsAlthough all movements of Surat Shabda Yoga will have common elements related to the basic principles, notable variations also exist. For example, before he died, the tenth SikhGuru, Guru Gobind Singh, nominated the Guru Granth Sahibas the next and perpetual Guru of the Sikhs. Other movements continue to require a Living Master to initiate students into the Shabda. Movements also will vary in the names used to describe the Absolute Supreme Being (God), including Anami Purush (nameless power) and Radha Soami (lord of the soul); the presiding deitiesand divisions of the macrocosm; the number of outer initiations; the words given as mantras; and the initiation vowsor the prerequisites that must be agreed to before being accepted as an initiate. Notes and references
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