The Ascent Within Esoteric Instructions by Swami Ji Maharaj & Baba Sawan Singh Ji Maharaj

No eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love Him. (Saint Paul)

Every region and everything is utterly beyond words. What beauty and glory! How can I describe them? There is nothing here on earth to convey the idea. I am helpless. (Swami Ji)

Introduction

In the Hidayatnama, Swami Ji extols the spiritual practice of Surat Shabd Yoga, meditation on the inner Light and Sound under the guidance of a genuine Sant Sat Guru. Baba Sawan Singh, in commenting on a poem by Kabir, describes the inner journey in similar detail. Both selections are included within these pages.

Also included are excerpts from the book The Enchanted Land written by professor and researcher David Lane who provides a nice description of Surat Shabd Yoga and a commentary on Swami Ji’s Hidayatname, which some may find interesting.

The following is Lane’s description of Surat Shabd Yoga:

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. 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.

Simran, the repetition of holy 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 names 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.

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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 [and the grace of the Master].

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)

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.

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 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.

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.

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 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 -3- 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 has beautifully described this spectrum of consciousness as having a definite hierarchical structure, with the higher orders subsuming and transcending their lower counterparts.

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.

Hidayatnama Esoteric Instructions, Bachan 21 of Sar Bachan Poetry, Volume One by Swami Ji

This discourse is meant for those who are desirous of finding the Supreme Being, and who are true seekers and want to know which religion is the highest and which path is the most sure and direct.

They should minimize their worldly attachments. In other words, leaving the care for wealth, wife and children to fate they should give paramount importance to the company of saintly persons.

And out of saintly persons, the company of that Adept should be adopted, who is a practitioner of Surat Shabd or of Drishti [sight], that is to say, who is conversant with the technique of the Yoga of Surat Shabd, has perfected the practice of withdrawing the spirit currents from the pupils of the two eyes, and of uniting them, and who performs the practice of raising the spirit, by hearing, internally, celestial sounds.

In case an Adept of this class is not available, they should search out one who performs the practice of ‘striking the solar plexus with Name’ [repeating the Holy Name in a particular manner at the heart center], or one who performs the practice of ‘breath control’. The company of such a person would also purify the heart, curb evil propensities and confer some inner joy.

But the ascension of the spirit can be achieved through the practice of Surat Shabd Yoga alone.

It behooves the seeker to develop love and devotion for such a personage, to perform His service with zeal, to solicit His attention and kindness by rendering service of all kinds with body, mind and wealth, and to gaze at His eyes continuously for an hour or two, without letting the eye-lids close, as long as possible. The duration of this practice should be prolonged day by day. Whenever He casts His benign gaze on you, your heart will be purified.

When, in His grace, He initiates you into the secrets and methods of the practice referred to above, your spirit will begin to catch hold of the celestial sounds. You should perform this practice daily, twice, four times or as many times as you find time. If your mind gives rise to delusions and -4- wanderings, prayers should be offered to Sant Sat Guru and the practice should be performed with greater effort. Guru’s kindness and your application would certainly result in progress day by day. It is not proper to be hasty or impatient, because haste makes waste, and is characteristic of the devil.

Whatever is achieved gradually is beneficial, and whatever is acquired pronto does not last, because such an acquisition is the gift of Satan. Whatever is obtained from the Merciful Guru endures. All this refers to external modes of devotion. The inner state and the stages to which Sants have access are described below:

The Inner Ascent

When your eye turns inward in the brain and you see the firmament within, and your spirit leaves the body and rises upward, you will see the Akash [sky, heavens, ether] in which is located Sahas- dal-kanwal [Astral Plane], 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 hereof 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.

At the apex of this Akash [in the Astral Plane], there is a passage which is very small like the eye of a needle. Your Surat [spirit, inner attention] should penetrate this eye. Further on, there is the bank nal, the crooked path, which goes straight and then downward and again upwards. Beyond this passage comes the second stage.

Trikuti [Causal Plane, region having three prominences] is situated here. It is one lakh yojan in length and one lakh yojan in width [billions 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 the sounds resembling thunder of clouds, reverberate there. On attaining this region, the spirit becomes very happy, and purified and subtle. From here onward, it becomes cognizant of the spiritual regions.

After having enjoyed the bliss of this region for some time, the spirit goes up one crore yojans and reaches Sunn, the third stage [Daswan Dwar]. Mohammedan Faqirs [Saints] have called it “Lahoot.” It is indescribable. Here, the spirits enjoy great beatitude.

The refulgence of this region is twelve times that of Trikuti. Pure pools of ambrosia, called “Mansarovar”, abound here. There are innumerable flowers and gardens.

Spirits, like beauties, dance at various places. There are pleasing and sweet victuals, all savory and fresh, and sonorous and musical strains can be heard everywhere. All this bliss can be experienced by the spirit only when it reaches there. It cannot be described.

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At every place, fountains of nectar are at play, in other words, pools of nectar are overflowing and streams of nectar are gushing out. How can one describe the splendor 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 decoration and embellishment of these regions can be appreciated only by seeing them. The entire creation there is purely spiritual. It is free from material constituents. The denizens, there, are spiritual and free from physical taints. Full particulars of these regions are known only to Sants. It is not meant to describe them in greater detail.

Having sojourned there and having enjoyed the glory thereof for a very long time, the spirit of this Faqir moved on, in accordance with the instructions of the Guides. After traversing five arab and seventy five crore yojans upward, the spirit entity effected ingress into the bounds Hahoot [Arabic name for the Lord of the Third Spiritual Region] and witnessed the panorama of that region.

There an expanse of ten Neel is enveloped in darkness. The depth of this dark region cannot be fathomed. The spirit went down one kharab yojans, still the bottom was nowhere to be found. Then the spirit turned upward 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 four extremely subtle sub-regions there, the secrets whereof have not been revealed by any Sant. 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 darshan of the Lord, they are restless. However, there is a way of their remission also. Whenever Sants happen to pass that way with 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.

The spirit, thereafter, went to Hootal Hoot, which, in Hindi, has been described as Bhanwar- gupha. There is a rotating swing here which is 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 “Anahoo Anahoo” rise all the time. Spirit entities playfully and rapturously enjoy these sounds.

Other characteristics of this region cannot be reduced to writing, as they can be realized by the spirit only when it reaches there by performing Abhyas [the meditation practices]. Hence it is necessary to continue the practice of this mode of devotion and it is called the Shabd practice. Do not give it up.

Having witnessed spectacle of this region, the spirit entity proceeded upward and went on ascending. Whiffs of scents of various kinds and sweet fragrance of sandal were enjoyed by the spirit and the melodies of flutes were heard, while it proceeded onward.

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On crossing this plane, the spirit entity reached the outpost of Sat Lok, where melodious sounds of “Sat Sat” and “Haq Haq” were heard coming out of the vina [harp]. On hearing this, the spirit penetrated further on rapturously. There rose to view silver and golden streams full of nectar, and vast gardens, each tree thereof being one crore-yojans in height. 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 [the fifth region, Sach Khand] 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. When such is the refulgence of each hair, how is it possible to describe the glory of all His hair, and where are the words to describe the beauty and glory of His entire person? How can 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 even the remotest idea.

The expanse of Sat Lok is one padam Palang, a Palang being equal to Triloki in vastness. Hence it is difficult to imagine the stupendous vastness of Sat Lok. There dwell spirit entities called Hansas who enjoy the darshan of Sat Purush, hear the music of the vina [harp] and partake of ambrosial food.

After witnessing the glory of this region, the spirit proceeded to Alakh Lok and got darshan of Alakh Purush. Thereafter the spirit entity went on and attained Agam Lok.

The spirit entity sojourned there for 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. That region is the Ultima Thule of all Sants, and all speech and description end here. I also conclude here.

Shiv Dayal Singh - Swami Ji Maharaj, 1818 – 1878

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When you begin to accumulate the wealth of Naam, your soul will go within and you will find yourself in a bright and radiant land. (Hazur Baba Sawan Singh, Discourses on Sant Mat, 40)

Hazur Baba Sawan Singh Ji Maharaj 1858-1948

When you pierce the veil and go up, the pleasures of this world appear very low and coarse compared to the bliss you enjoy there; in fact, it is like a public latrine when compared to the inner bliss. (Hazur Baba Sawan Singh, Spiritual Gems, 18)

Your wildest dreams or imaginings cannot picture the grandeur of what lies within. (Hazur Baba Sawan Singh, Spiritual Gems, 226)

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Baba Sawan Singh Ji Maharaj

There is no set period of time for reaching Sach Khand. It all depends on the love that you bear towards your Master and the Lord. Your progress inside depends directly on your love. I have met people who have gone in soon after their Initiation, whereas there are others who have not been able to see the inner light even twenty years after Initiation. It really means that the purer mind gets to the inner regions earlier. Where the mind is foul, the progress is slow.

Two ladies from Amritsar went into trance immediately at the time of the last Initiation and remained absorbed for some time. So you see, there is no definite time schedule that is the same for all. When the understanding or mind is clean and pure the result is almost instantaneous; but in the case of those whose mind is soiled or dirty, it takes some time to lift the veil or the curtain of the mind.

There are four kinds of speed in the mystical ascent of the soul. First, we have to withdraw the soul from the nine gates of the body by Simran or repetition of the five holy Names and bring it to the center between the two eyes. This process usually takes a long time and it is the process of dying while living. The soul's rate of progress in Pind is very slow, hence it is called the way of the ant, which rises and falls in its attempt to scale a height.

Above the eye-center in Anda, the speed is less slow and is called the way of the spider, which comes down from the ceiling with the thread of its web and then slowly goes up again after catching its prey. Similarly, the soul goes up and comes down with the current of inner sound or light.

Above this, in Brahmand the speed is fast and is called the way of the fish, which cannot bear separation from water and ascends along the current. The fish love water and are known to go upstream in the hills for many miles. Similarly, the soul gets inseparably united with Shabd at the stage of Par Brahm and can easily go up and come down with the current of Shabd.

Next comes Sach Khand where the speed is the fastest and the soul follows the way of the bird which flies from the plains and in a moment reaches the top of a mountain and then flies down and reaches the plains in an instant. This is the way of the Saints. They collect their soul in the Third Eye, transport it in no time into Sach Khand and bring it back into the body whenever they like.

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Hazur Baba Sawan Singh Ji Maharaj Selections from See Your Beloved Lord in Your Own Body Discourses on Sant Mat

I have often observed that whatever is to be found is inside the body. Just as one would open up the various parts of a gun and then assemble them after cleaning them, similarly Kabir Sahib has explained in detail what he has seen inside the body. He says:"I am going to tell you what the Lord has placed inside the body. This body of ours is a palace in which the soul is like a beloved wife and the Lord is the husband. They have been together in this house for ages but have never met." This is the experience of all saints that have traversed the Spiritual Path and have come face to face with the Lord.

Kabir has said that the Lord is inside this body and our efforts are to be directed towards meeting H i m . If you want to meet Him, you have to purify your heart . Fi rst of al l, we have to get rid of lust. Lust and Nam cannot exist together. Wherever there is l ust , Nam is absent. Nam t akes us above, t o the hi gher inner regions, while lust has a tendency to drag us down. To desire another woman besides your own wife is lust. The same is true of a woman. That is, to desire another man besides her own husband, is lust. You have also to give up anger because in anger the spirit gets scattered. Egotism arrests your inner progress. Then comes greed. However good a person may be, if he is greedy, the world hates him. Kabir further states that we should give up attachment to worldly things and persons, and also egotism and vanity.

We have to replace lust by continence, anger by forgiveness, greed by contentment, attachment by detachment, and egotism by humility. But this happens only when we meet a perfect Adept and follow his directions to turn God-wards and become a living power, reborn and exalted. Then, the five evils slink away, yielding place to the five virtues. We also have to abstain from taking flesh food and alcoholic drinks, and get rid of all that is false and unreal.

The animal diet involves us into a heavier karmic debt besides making the spirit too coarse to remain spiritually sensitive. It drags a person down towards the animal plane. It is unavoidable that we should become like what we eat, just as we acquire the attributes of which we constantly think. The intoxica ting drinks confound the intellect, vitiate judgment and almost destroy discrimination. Both body and mind suffer. It is only after we shun them that we can ride the horse of knowledge and get rid of all illusion. This we can do only when our inner self is illumined.

The body is divided into four regions. These are the Pind or Pinda, the physical or material body; the And or Anda, the lowest part of Brahmand, the s pi ri tual -material region; Brahmand, the spiritual -material region, which is mostly spiritual but mixed with a certain amount of refined matter; and Sach Khand, which is absolutely pure spirit, the highest and only perfectly pure region. Sach Khand is also the only permanent region.

Visualize the sun of Spirituality, refulgent in Brahmand. Just as the sun and the sky are reflected in water and from the water onto a wall, we find that the sun's reflection in the water has lost its warmth but not its form. When it is reflected from the water onto the wall, or into the physical body, it has lost both its warmth and its form. It is -10- cl ear, therefore, that we can normally experience and enjoy very little of the radiance and beauty of Spirit in the physical body.

Our outer or physical eyes are not self-lighted. These physical eyes depend on one of five sources for their light: the sun, moon, stars, electricity or a lamp. Whenever one of these five kinds of light is not available, the physical eyes cannot see. The inner eye is self-luminous and does not need any of these outer sources of light. You close the outer eyes and see with the inner one. Also close the outer ears and hear with the inner one. When we have done that and when our attention is concentrated in the third eye, the light will appear. The upward path of Sant Mat starts from the third eye.

When the inner vision opens, we see the starry heaven. We then have to cross the sun and the moon worlds in order to go up. Farther up there is a narrow way through which we have to pass. Kabir Sahib says that the gate to liberation is one-tenth the size of a mustard seed, but the mind is like an elephant and it is difficult for it to pass through. However, if we find a True Master and He showers His Grace on us, then the narrow passage to liberation is widened and one can freely come and go without difficulty. Guru Nanak has said that the way to God is one-tenth the width of a hair. Other Saints have referred to this path as being finer or narrower than the eye of a needle.

Farther up there are three ways, or paths, one on the right, one on the left, and one in the middle. The left-hand path is the path of the yogis, where riddhis, siddhis and other powers abound. That is why nobody who travelled this way ever reached the higher spiritual regions above Brahmand. This is the way of the negative power. The path on the right leads to other and far higher universes. The left-hand path is the path of the thugs. Ours, the Path of the Saints, is the middle one. This is the Grand Trunk Road from which we should never swerve. Kabir says, "Life is uncertain and we should lose no time in striving to make progress on the Path and going up during our lifetime." Therefore, we should cross these regions during our lifetime, and this is possible only if we work hard.

After the soul has crossed the Sun and Moon regions, it sees the Master within and goes up to Sahansdal Kanwal, (the thousand-petalled lotus). From here begins the real spiritual journey in the company of the Master. This is a brilliantly lighted region. In the world below, that is, when we function below this center, the soul is dominated by the mind, and the mind is controlled by the senses; but on reaching this region the position is reversed, namely, that senses are controlled by the mind and the later in its turn by the soul. And this is what it should be for a Satsangi.

The affairs of the physical and astral planes are managed from here and these petals are mentioned by mystics as one thousand eyes and ears of God.

The path beyond goes by way of Banknal, the so-called "crooked tunnel" or passageway, which is very narrow and has already been referred to as being one-tenth the width of a hair. We have to go straight through, then go down, then come up and then go straight. This Banknal is between Sahansdal Kanwal and Trikuti, the second region. Most of the ancient yogis and the prophets could not go beyond this. They were not able to see their real self, because self becomes evident only in Par Brahm, (Par, beyond; and Brahm, the ruler of the Three Worlds); that is in the regions beyond the realms ruled by Brahm or beyond Trikuti.

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Inside the material body is the astral body…with still another body inside, known as the causal body. When all these outer coverings (material, astral and causal) are removed from the soul, the latter shines in its own light, which is equal to that of twelve suns. The soul is of the essence of the Lord, and has the same attributes, but when it is wrapped in all these coverings, it is ignorant of its powers. Soul is all consciousness, intelligence or conscious life-force, but by associating with material things it has become material or more precisely, covered over by material thoughts, desires, and the like. As we go up, the consciousness will go on increasing in quality and spiritual power until we reach the state of Sat Chit Anand or True Blissful Consciousness.

The light of the soul is always within us, but we cannot see it. It is just like a lamp which is wrapped in a number of coverings and cannot radiate light. But as the coverings are removed one by one, the light becomes visible. The soul's truly radiant self is known only in Sach Khand, the fifth region. Even in Daswan Dwar, the third region, which is in Par Brahm or beyond Brahm, there is the finer covering of Maya over the soul.

When the soul goes beyond Sahansdal Kanwal, the negative powers on the way are at their worst. It should be clearly understood that the ruler of the Three Worlds is Kal, the negative power. The True Lord is Sat Nam. Kal can neither kill a soul nor burn it. He borrowed the souls in his lower worlds from above, and keeps them imprisoned or caged within the Three Worlds. He has bound these souls with the chains of worldly pleasures. Whenever a soul starts to rise towards the higher regions, Kal goes "all out", so to say, to stop it from doing so.

At places on the way one meets beautiful astral men and women, the like of which are not seen in this world. They offer inducements of various kinds in an efforts to prevent the soul from going up. But the Master, who is with the soul of his disciple, will not let the soul even see them. As a matter of fact, these negative powers will not come near Nam given by a Saint. Just as a king's servant would not be stopped at any barrier, similarly, a soul repeating the five holy names will not be stopped anywhere.

There are vast regions inside. After crossing Sahansdal Kanwal, the soul goes to Brahm or Trikuti, from where it goes to Par Brahm (Beyond Brahm).Only those who have a perfect Master reach there. When a disciple goes in, he gets to see and know all that is described above.

Trikuti, the second region on the Path of the Masters of the Word, is the region of Brahm. It is called so not only because Trikuti has that shape, but also because it is the ultimate origin of the three gunas (attributes) and known also as three gods Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. We have to go higher up, beyond the play of mind and matter. This upward inner journey is not restricted to any one particular religion nor to man or woman.

It is open to everyone. It is the path of Love and Devotion. Whoever applies himself or herself will succeed in piercing through the veil, which is the creation of our own mind. If there is anything difficult to obtain in this world, it is a Perfect Master. Whoever has a Perfect Master will reach Sach Khand. But one with a master of a lower caliber will remain below. The treasure of Nam is inside everybody. Whoever finds a Perfect Master and follows His instructions, will reach the goal. Those who are not so fortunate are blind and will remain so.

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The region of Brahm is the region of knowledge. In this region there is a sweet and melodious sound, and this sound is Om, the sound of Brahm. It is sweet like the sound produced from a tabla (a small tambourine). It is not the word "Om", but the resonant sound that represents Om. This sound comes from amidst the rumbling sound of the thunder of clouds. Here we have the four- petalled lotus. The light is red like that of the early dawn.

Above Brahmand is the region of Svet Sunn (Svet, white; and Sunn, void), which is at the top of Brahm and yet below the region of par Brahm. It is the intermediate region. Here is located the pool of immortality which is called Amritsar. On reaching this place and bathing in this pool, the soul becomes free from all karmas.

After bathing here, the soul becomes immortal and does not have to reincarnate. Here it becomes a Hansa or swan, which really means a highly developed and advanced soul. Now the soul takes on the attributes of a swan as compared to those of a crow. It becomes immortal, which in this case means that it does not have to descend again into any of the three coverings or bodies. Below this region it had the three gunas or qualities. So long as the soul was entangled in maya, it was not capable of drinking the spiritual nectar that is always flowing in Daswan Dwar. But after it has risen up and freed itself from the three bodies, the physical, the astral and the causal, and has reached Par Brahm, it is capable of drinking the nectar of immortality and then the soul becomes ahansa or swan.

It is here that the soul actually realizes for the first time that it is a spark of the Supreme Being, a drop of the Ocean of Divinity. It also comes to know where its Lord resides, and its greatest desire at this time is to meet Him. Below this region it was not conscious of the Lord. As a matter of fact, the whole world is blind. Everyone has heard about the Lord either from Saints or sages, or has heard about him from his elders, or has read about Him in books. But the great majority of people have no first-hand knowledge of the Lord, for they have never been inside to the higher regions, nor have they come face to face with Him.

In the region of Daswan Dwar the soul's own light is equal to that of twelve suns. In spite of this, it cannot pierce through the dark region of Maha Sunn,or the Great Void, that lies just beyond. In order to cross this region, the soul needs the light of the Master. The Lord of Daswan Dwar is Rarankar. The region of Maha Sunn is very dark, and the higher form of the negative power has placed all possible frightening obstructions here. The soul's own light of twelve suns is not at all helpful. The souls who have reached this region but who were not fortunate enough to have a Master who had Himself gone beyond, are still living in this dominion unable to go beyond. They have no trouble there, and they move about in their own light. They can see things immediately around them, but they are not able to pass through the region and go beyond. Even a disciple of a Satguru cannot cross this dark region alone. Only his Guru can take him across.

Beyond this there are five very vast and increasingly spiritual regions. Each region has its own Brahm or Ruler. In addition, there are four regions which have been kept secret by the Saints. The residents of these places are called prisoners. Though they have no difficulty save that they cannot go beyond, and they ask the souls accompanying the Saints to plead their cause with the latter so that they may also be taken up. It is only the Saints who can take them along if they wish to.

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The next and the fourth spiritual region is the Bhanwar Gupha (literally, whirling or rotating cave) or Sohang region. Sohang literally means "That am I"; that is, "I am a drop of the same ocean. In essence we are the same, but I am a drop and you are the ocean." This region is the gateway to Sach Khand.

In this region there are eighty-eight thousand universes, all of which are inhabited by devotees. Only those reach here who are the followers of a Guru who has Himself attained access to this high stage. The arrangement, appearance and beauties of these regions have no equal in this world. The Saints have tried to give us an idea of those realms by comparing them to the most precious stones we have here, such as diamonds, pearls, rubies and emeralds. These jewels are considered the most precious things in this world, and therefore they are used to try to express the value and the beauty of the inner treasures.

One hears the sound of the flute in this region. Again, there is nothing in this world with which to compare this beautiful sound. Maulvi Rum says that this flute complains about its separation from its original home in the forest, and from the particular reed from which it was made. The soul, like the flute, has been lamenting ever since it came down from its original home or source.

Crossing through Bhanwar Gupha, the soul reaches Sat Lok or Sach Khand…These regions cannot be adequately described because one cannot find anything comparable to them anywhere else. The Saints have had to make use of physical or worldly materials or objects in order to give us hints about them. As a matter of fact, Sach Khand is a region of peace, bliss and love of the highest order. On reaching it, the soul has a light equal to that of sixteen suns.

The soul is part and parcel of Sat Nam, the Ruler of this region and all creation below it. The soul is no small thing. Its present degenerate condition in the world is due to its association with the mind and the actions, good and bad, that it is made to do under the sway of the mind and the senses.

The sound of the Vina, a stringed instrument something like a lute, pervades here. Guru Nanak and other Saints also refer to this sound as that of the vina. When the soul reaches here it neither dies nor is born again. It is far beyond the regions of pleasure and pain.

The light of one hundred thousand suns and the same number of moons would not compare with the light that emanates from one hair (although there really is no hair) on the body of Sat Purush, the True God who presides over Sat Lok and all the universes and worlds below it, including the physical universe in which we are now living.

It is the duty of the Master to lead the soul of the disciple through the various regions, and into the lap of Sat Purush. From here the soul's upward progress is speeded up by the special power of Sat Purush. After crossing the next two higher regions, that is Alakh and Agam, the soul reaches the last stage, called Anami, the Nameless, or Radha Soami. The light of a billion suns and a billion moons would not compare with the light of one hair on the body of Alakh Purush, the Lord of the Alakh or invisible Region. In the region of Agam, the inaccessible Realm, the light of a hundred billion suns and a hundred billion moons falls short of the light given out by a single hair on the body of its Lord, Agam Purush. Concerning the last stage or the highest region, the abode of the Supreme Creator God, the Saints keep silent. It has no beginning nor end. It is so vast that it could not possibly be described in the language of this world.

Now, all of these internal Spiritual Regions are your heritage. If you do not explore this gold mine, it is your own fault. You will be like a person who has a large treasure buried inside his own house, but runs out to beg from others. He does not use his own fortune and thereby suffers. The secret of this treasure is in the keeping of Saints and can be obtained only from them. A teacher in spiritual science is as necessary as the one for imparting education in arts or science in a college. The duty of the Master is to show the disciple the way to go within. It may be mentioned, however, that Masters who actually go into the higher regions are very rare indeed.

Kabir Sahib says that he has given us the description of the inner and higher worlds in detail. All this treasure is within the human body and it is kept there for us. But the negative power, Kal, together with his consort, Maya, has spread a huge and intricate net to keep us captives here. He does not want any soul to leave his domain…

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Summary by David Lane:

The First Region: Sahas-dal-kanwal "Thousand Petalled Lotus"

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", which with repeated concentration will burst revealing a radiance similar to that of a sun.

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, 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. 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, 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 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. 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 herself 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

-16- 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).

The Second Region: Trikuti "Three Prominences"

Progression to successively higher regions of existence is secured in Radhasoami and Sant Mat through listening to the finer shabd 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):

"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.

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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. 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 Third Region: Daswan Dwar and the Great Dark Void

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.

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: "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.

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. -18-

To cross the abyss without such a Guide is impossible according to the Masters, 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.

The Fourth Region: Bhanwar Gupha Whirling Cave Vortex

Upon arriving in Bhanwar Gupha, the soul's nirat (power to see) and surat (capacity to hear) attain a state of satisfaction. 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 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 how pure spirits live on spiritual islands with magnificent palaces for trans-mundane enjoyment.

The Fifth Through Eighth Regions Sach Khand -- The True Realm

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.

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.

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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 says it is but "wonder, wonder, wonder; wonder hath assumed a form."

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.

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Charts of the Inner Regions — Spiritual Planes — Spheres of Creation According to Sant Mat Mysticism, Radhasoami, and Surat Shabd Yoga (James Bean, http://spiritualawakeningradio.com/Charts_of_the_Heavens.html)

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Maulana Rumi says that compared to the vastness of the worlds within, this world is not even the extent of an atom. What a magnificent abundance of life there is within us! (Sant Kirpal Singh,ruhanisatsangusa.orgiamthine.htm)

When you have got a taste of the beyond then there’s nothing here to compare with that. (Sant Kirpal Singh, The Light of Kirpal, 291)

Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj 1894-1974

You know that the inner bliss is supreme and unrivaled. There is nothing similar to it on earth, but alas! the mind is so much intoxicated with the lust for woman, wine, and wealth that it fails to see and comprehend the greatness of the spiritual beatitude within. (Sant Kirpal Singh, ruhanisatsangusa.org/follow.htm)

It is beyond the ken of human comprehension to gauge the grandeur and limitless of divinity. (Sant Kirpal Singh, Letters to New York initiates)

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