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This Week My Radio Guest is Stephan Hoeller of Gnosis.Org
Sep 6, 2007

This Week My Radio Guest is Stephan Hoeller of Gnosis.Org

Fri and Sun on Spiritual Awakening Radio: Gnostic Gospels



Gnostic---Nag Hammadi Library --- Gnostic Gospels Radio Series





Every week in September hear my conversations with Stephan Hoeller of Ecclesia Gnostica of Los Angeles and Gnosis.org  This September series also features readings from all the key Gnostic texts. Being a life-long fan of Gnosticism, my library of world scriptures has all the well-known and not-so-well-known Gnostic scriptures!



Hear Gnostic Radio with Stephan Hoeller Friday, September 7th, 14th, 21st, and  28th, plus repeat broadcasts on Sundays all during September.
The Gnostic Radio Series airs on Spiritual Awakening Radio via

http://www.HealthyLife.Net  



and can be heard online at the HealthyLife.Net website. At the times listed below go to the website and click the "Listen Live" button.

Spiritual Awakening Radio is heard Fridays at 1 PM Eastern Time, which is Noon Central, 11 AM Mountain, and 10 AM Pacific Time (which is 6 PM in the UK). There are also encore repeat broadcasts, twelve hours later, on Friday nights, and Sundays at Noon Eastern, which is 11 AM Central, 10 AM Mountain, and 9 AM Pacific Time (and is 5 PM in the UK).



In Living Gnosis Now,

James
Producer & Host
www.SpiritualAwakeningRadio.com

www.healthylife.net



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Posted: Sep 6, 2007 5:44pm
Gnostic Mandaean Scrolls: I became the illuminator of the worlds of Light
Dec 17, 2006
Gnostic Mandaean Scrolls: I became the illuminator of the worlds of Light

Books Containing Mandaean Scriptures
The Gnostic Bible, edited by Willis Barnstone and Marvin Meyer, Shambhala
The Other Bible, Willis Barnstone, Harper Collins

Mandaean History, Background Information, and Photographs
Gnosis, by Kurt Rudolph
The Gnostic Religion, by Hans Jonas, Beacon Press
The Gospel of Jesus, John Davidson, Clear Press UK

Mandaean Scriptures and Art Online, Websites
MandaeanWorld:
http://www.mandaeanworld.com/mandaeanworld1.html
Canonical Prayerbook of the Mandaeans:
http://www.geocities.com/mandaeanworld1/cpindex1.html
The Mandaean Section of the The Gnostic Library:
http://www.gnosis.org/library/mand.htm
http://www.gnosis.org/library/ginzarba.htm

Gnostic Mandaean Scrolls: I became the illuminator of the worlds of Light
By James Bean
Copyright January 2006






I sometimes like saying that the Nag Hammadi Library found in Egypt represents 'the prose of the Gnostics', but the Mandaean writings from Iraq are 'the poetry'. Below is a Mandaean psalm-scroll translated by the German scholar Werner Forrester. Below that are a couple of Mandaean Aramaic words defined. And below that, I provide commentary on the meaning of these ancient Aramaic verses from the Middle east, chanted in antiquity. I have always been quite fond of these Mandaean psalm-scrolls translated in "Gnosis II", "The Canonical Prayerbook of the Mandaeans" (out of print), and also in, "The Gnostic Book of John the Baptizer" (Kissinger Reprints).

In the Name of the Great Life,
Sublime Light Be Praised.

Naamaste',

James

I became the illuminator of the worlds of Light

. . . . .

I became a garment to the worlds of Light. . .
I became a king to the Nasoreans.
I became a king to the Nasoreans,
who received praise and stability through my Name.
Praise and stability they received,
and by my Name they ascend to the Place of Light
and behold the Place of Light.

As for the chosen righteous, who put me on (as a garment),
their eyes were filled with Light.
Their eyes were filled with Light,
and Manda dHaiye* [Knowledge or Acquaintance with God]
was established in their hearts.
Whoever puts me on, the Treasure of Life, (as a garment),....
I speak to them, [saying]:

"The vine which bears (fruit) ascends,
(the vine) which bears nothing is cut off here (from the Light).
Whoever is enlightened and instructed by me
rises and beholds the Place of Light.
Whoever is not enlightened and instructed by me
is cut off (from the Light), and falls into
the great Ocean of Suf**."

(Mandaean Aramaic psalm translated in, "Gnosis II", by Werner Forrester, Oxford University Press, out of print)

*Notes:

**"Suf" in Mandaic Aramaic: "Sea of Reeds or Sea of the End, a place of unbelievers: like the Egyptians in the biblical narrative: the departure of the Israelites from Egypt was evidently interpreted allegorically as the departure of the soul from the body." (Glossary in "Gnosis II")

*"Manda dHaiye": -- Gnosis of the Great Life (Great Life, a term for God); Knowledge or Acquaintance with God; Divine Knowledge, often personified in the Mandaean texts as "the name of the most important messenger of Light and Redeemer". (Glossary in "Gnosis II")

Commentary

"I became the illuminator of the worlds of Light."

"Understand what the Great Light is". (Apocryphon of James the Just, Nag Hammadi Library) In the Mandaean texts, written in a dialect of Aramaic almost two thousand years ago, a term for God is "Light", very much as in the Gospel of Thomas: Light=God=Christ=Kingdom of the Father. "God is Light and in Him there is no darkness." "Darkness is not dark to Thee." One phrase or benediction often repeated or chanted literally thousands of times in these old Mandaean scrolls is: "In the Name of the Great Life, Sublime Light Be Praised." God is described as "the Great Light", and heavenly realms are called "A Place of Light." Souls clothed in their heavenly garments are described as radiant beings like suns or stars.

The true messenger of God is a "Light-giver".

"Whoever is enlightened and instructed by me rises and beholds the Place of Light."

As wonderful as old writings of saints might be, people are in need a competent living teacher who has become one with God to be their guide, in order to have the right-view, right-knowledge, and right-practice. Otherwise, it is a teacher of a lesser order that is one's influence, or perhaps one's own limited and ever-changing interpretations. We "see through a glass darkly" (saint Paul), which means that what the ego may comprehend is not necessarily the whole picture but a dim outline at best. Only someone who is one with God is qualified to guide others into that divine experience. Rather than the usual "blind leading the blind", someone with Sight needs to be recognized as the guide. Like the Mandaeans of old, we also need a living Light-giver.

What is the result of this spiritual guidance from "a living one"? Souls "ascend to the Place of Light and behold the Place of Light", and, "....Their eyes were filled with Light..." There are visions of the divine Light -- real Light is seen, and ascensions to "the Place of the Light" are experienced.

Clues are provided in the text about not only the luminous visionary results, by at least one of the spiritual practices that was imparted, and it is a contemplative practice universally taught by saints and mystics.

"I became a king to the Nasoreans,
who received praise and stability through my Name.
Praise and stability they received,
and by my Name they ascend to the Place of Light and behold the
Place of Light."

The Prayer of God's Name has been taught, and continues to be taught, by countless saints and mystics. The name or names that one is instructed to repeat may vary from place to place, from language to language, and from tradition to tradition. A sacred word is slowly and prayerfully repeated, either verbally, or even better: mentally (higher, more "within"), and can indeed lead to beatific revelations or visions of Light, and even travels in spirit, "up hither" to the Place of the Light.

"As for the chosen righteous, who put me on (as a garment),
their eyes were filled with Light.
Their eyes were filled with Light,
and Manda dHaiye* [Knowledge or Acquaintance with God]
was established in their hearts.
Whoever puts me on, the Treasure of Life, (as a garment),....
I speak to them, [saying]:

"'The vine which bears (fruit) ascends,
(the vine) which bears nothing is cut off here (from the Light).'"

Here there is language that is reminiscent of the Gospel of John about abiding in the living vine of Yeshua and hearing the heavenly Voice: life is connected with the Great Life. On a spiritual level, one abides in the teacher, one becomes united to the teacher, puts the radiant form of the teacher on like a garment, and this is an essential stage of the journey of ascension.

Being able go go beyond darkness is extremely important. As has been said, "Watch out that the vision within you is not darkness." "Consider the One who is alive while you are alive, lest you die and then seek to behold that One - and you will not be able to behold." (Bently Layton's translation of Gospel of Thomas, 59) And, "Seek to see Him who is living, while you are living; rather than to die and to seek to see Him when you can no longer see Him!" (same verse, Doresse translation). While others put the spiritual life off till the next life or after some hypothesised "end of the world" scenario at the end of time, the contemplative soul "seeks to see Him" right now in the living present -- the present moment of time. It is necessary to be united with the Light now, in order to know that one will be united with the Light in eternity. "If one does not receive the Light while here in this place, one cannot receive it in the other place." (Gospel of Philip) That which we treasure or are attached to in this life, there we go. "What is found now, is found then." (Kabir) If Gnosis of the Place of the Light -- Knowledge or Acquaintance with God -- is established within our hearts, then our "eyes are filled with Light." "Perfect things have opened to us, and Hidden Things of Truth." (Gospel of Phillip) "Whoever drinks from my mouth will become like me, I myself will become that person, and the Hidden Things will be revealed to them." (Yeshua, Gospel of Thomas, 108) If you eye becomes Single, your whole body will be full of Light. If you are no longer divided, but become whole, darkness will give way to Light, and you will become a child of the Light.

"Help me and save me in thy Mysteries.
Incline thy ear to me and free me.
Let the power of thy Light save me and carry me
to the aeons on high,
for it is thou who appears to me in the darkness,
savest me and takest me
to the height of thy aeons.
Rescue me, O Light."
(Pistis Sophia)

"Truly, truly, I say to you that I will complete you in all
Mysteries of the Kingdom of the Light." (Egyptian Book of Pistis Sophia)

The Living Teacher gives us:
What no eye has seen,
what no ear has heard,
what no hand has touched, and
what has never occurred to the human mind. (Coptic Gospel of Thomas, 17)

From another psalm-scroll of the Mandaean texts:

From the Place of Light have I gone forth,
from thee, Bright Habitation.

I come to feel the hearts,
to measure and try all minds,
to see in whose heart I dwell,
in whose mind I repose.

Who thinks of me, of him I think:
who calls my Name, his name I call.
Who prays my prayer from down below,
his prayer I pray from the Place of Light. . . .

I came and found
the truthful and believing hearts.
When I was not dwelling among them,
yet my Name was on their lips.
I took them and guided them up to the World of Light. . . . ////////

(a Mandaean psalm-scroll quoted in, "The Gnostic Religion -- The Message of the Alien God and the Beginnings of Christianity", by Hans Jonas, Beacon Press)
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Posted: Dec 17, 2006 11:50am
Sant Mat Sites -- Inner Light and Sound Meditation Online
Dec 10, 2006
Sant Mat Sites -- Inner Light and Sound Meditation Online

Sant Tulsidas says: "'The association of the saints brings association with the Divine, and alliance with people who are engrossed in the world leads the way back to this world again and again.' To attain Ultimate Liberation it is essential to have association with the saints. Saints, having realized the true form of God, become that True Form." (The Harmony of All Religions)

According to Shri Sant Sevi Ji Maharaj in his book, The Harmony of All Religions, there are three levels of satsang:   1) Association with the Writings/Teachings of Saints, hymns, poetry, and spiritual discourses of the Masters;   2) Association with Satgurus, sitting at the feet of a living teacher; and,    3) Association with Sat (the Eternal Truth), the highest level, an inner Sat-sang Communion with God during meditation practice.

For the first level of satsang, books and internet can be avenues to the teachings of Sants. Below are links to sites that offer writings, the poetry and prose of Sant Satgurus and other helpful information about the resources that are available online.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Naamaste',

James

Selected verses from The Philosophy of Liberation by Maharishi Mehi, and, The Harmony of All Religions:
http://www.thewayofsages.com/new_page_7.htm

Online Library at my website including the Anurag Sagar:
http://www.spiritualawakeningradio.com/library.html

Sant Mat Fellowship Main Page, Files, Photos, Links:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SantMatFellowship

Links Page of Sant Mat, Radhasoami, Surat Shabd Yoga, Online Books and Other Information on Books, Kabir, Sikh Gurus, Adi Granth Online, Long List of Websites:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SantMatFellowship/links

Radhasoami Reality, Sar Bachan, Prem Bani, Prem Patra Radhaswami:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Radhasoami-Reality

KABIR, Shabds of Guru Kabir:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/KABIR

Meditation Sangat -- Sant Mat Meditation:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MeditationSangat

Sufi_Poetry_and_Wisdom:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Sufi_Poetry_and_Wisdom

*Spiritual Awakening Radio:
http://www.SpiritualAwakeningRadio.com

Several Charts of Sant Mat Guru Lineages

Upanishadic Sants in Ancient Times? jpg:
http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k241/agochar/UpanishadicSants.jpg

1a Chart.jpg:
Param Sant Tulsi Sahib and those after him in Hathras, Agra, and Bihar:
http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k241/agochar/1aaaRSLineageChart.jpg

1b LineageChart.jpg:
Sant Mat Lineage of Gurus, Swami Ji to Baba Jaimal Singh, Beas, Sawan Kirpal and Ruhani Mission, Chart, From "Radhasoami Reality", by Mark Juergensmeyer:
http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k241/agochar/1bRSLineageChart.jpg

1c LineageChart.jpg:
Sant Mat Lineage of Gurus, Swami Ji to Agra Radhaswami Branches,
Chart.jpg, From "Radhasoami Reality", by Mark Juergensmeyer:
http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k241/agochar/1cRSLineageChart.jpg

2 LineageChart-1.jpg:
Sant Mat Lineage of Gurus, Tulsi Sahib and Agra, ChartTwo.jpg, From an Early Version of David Lane's Book, "Radhasoami Mat":
http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k241/agochar/2RSLineageChart-1.jpg

3 LineageChart.jpg:
Sant Mat Lineage of Gurus, Huzur Maharaj -- Rai Saligram-related Agra Branches, ChartThree.jpg, From an Early Version of David Lane's Book, "Radhasoami Mat":
http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k241/agochar/3RSLineageChart.jpg

4 LineageChart.jpg:
Sant Mat Lineage of Gurus, Baba Jaimal Singh, Sawan-Kirpal, Somanath, Mastana Ji, Tarn Taran, ChartFour.jpg, From an Early Version of David Lane's Book, "Radhasoami Mat":
http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k241/agochar/4RSLineageChart.jpg

5 LineageChart.jpg:
Kabir Panth Chart of Lineages, "The Influence of Sat Kabir", Angle
One:
http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k241/agochar/5RSLineageChart.jpg

6 LineageChart.jpg:
Kabir Panth Chart of Lineages, "The Influence of Sat Kabir", Angle
Two:
http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k241/agochar/6RSLineageChart.jpg

7 Chart of the Inner Planes of Creation, PDF File:
http://www.spiritualawakeningradio.com/chart.pdf

8 Another Chart of the Inner Planes of Creation, JPG:
http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k241/agochar/HeavenlyChart.jpg
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Posted: Dec 10, 2006 4:17am
A Course In Miracles Mysticism
Oct 24, 2006
A Course In Miracles Mysticism

By James Bean

Copyright October 2006


The Sufi poet-mystic Rumi once said: "Rise above thy mental horizon, 0 brave soul and listen to the call of Music coming from above." Often the difficulty spiritual seekers face is the very real danger of becoming stuck at one of the lower stages, or getting detoured somewhere along the way. One seemingly becomes unable to break free from the mental prison of one's own making, at the level of theoretical knowledge or belief, even though the original intent of the authors of countless sacred texts has been to guide us from doubt to faith, and from theoretical knowledge to our own direct, personal spiritual experience of the Divine, far beyond the realms of mind and matter. Living Schools of Spirituality, complete with living teachers and students, can be of great assistance to spiritual seekers as they are able to communicate spiritual guidance to their students about all the steps and stages necessary for the inward voyage of the soul on its way back to God. As one such living Master said to his students so very long ago: "What your own eyes cannot see, your human ears do not hear, your physical hands cannot feel, and what is inconceivable to the human mind --- that I will give you!" (The Gospel of Thomas --- Wisdom of the Twin, Lynn Bauman, White Cloud Press)

Mystic-souls can find a vast amount of inspiration and wisdom in the Hebrew scriptures, Quran, New Testament, Jainist Sutras, Gathas of Zoroaster, and countless other world scriptures or spiritual classics, and this can also include, A Course In Miracles.


Meditation in the Silence as a Way to Reach the Other Side of Silence (God)

Meditation in the Bible: "Be still and know that I am God." (Psalm 46: 10) For centuries that has been a favorite passage of mystics, Quietists, Quakers, Gnostics, Beguines, Brethren of the Free Spirit, Cathars, and other lovers of the Beloved. An anonymous mystic of the Rhineland once described the process of contemplative meditation this way: "There is a speaking of God in the center of the soul where no creature can enter or speak, for only God lives there and only He speaks. God speaks there when the soul puts aside all thoughts and images of this creation, when she silences her powers and gains a vision into the foundation of her pure essence. In this pure and silent soul God the Father speaks and she hears His Voice." (Book of Spiritual Poverty)  Or, as it says in that series of volumes known as, A Course In Miracles: "Listen in deep silence. Be very still and open your mind. Go past all the raucous shrieks and sick imaginings that cover your real thoughts and obscure your eternal link with God. Sink deep into the peace that waits for you beyond the frantic, riotous thoughts and sights and sounds of this insane world. You do not live here. We are trying to reach your real home. We are trying to reach the place where you are truly welcome. We are trying to reach God." (ACIM, Workbook For Students, from Lesson 49) Master Kirpal Singh described meditation in the silence as a literal Doorway or Portal to the Divine Realm of Spirit and Truth: "In silence the heart illumines; veil after veil is removed......The human body is the temple of God. He is waiting there for you. That is why I ask you to look within, with a longing in your heart and silence in your soul. God will reveal himself to you. You will find him --- no, see him ..... God is the Ocean of utmost and restful silence. So long as we cannot have this restful silence within us, the soul cannot listen to the Voice of silence arising out of the greatest depths of Silence. By following that Voice we can reach the Source and Fountainhead of the Great Silence called God and be blessed forever." (The Way of the Saints, Sant Bani Ashram, Sanbornton, New Hampshire)


Meditation is not a new concept in the Western world. It's been with us the entire time. Take this rather Hindu-sounding passage in an extra-canonical scripture composed 2,000 years ago known as the Acts of Peter for example: "Give ear; withdraw your souls from all that appears but is not truly real; close these eyes if yours, close your ears, withdraw from actions that are outwardly seen; and you shall know the reality of Christ and the whole secret of your salvation." (The Other Bible, Willis Barnstone, Harper Collins) In recent times the same inwardly-focused message was reintroduced to many through the volumes of, A Course In Miracles.


A Modern-day Gnostic Gospel

A Course in Miracles was "scribed" through a process of inner dictation, says Dr. Helen Schucman. According to ACIM.org: "A clinical and research psychologist and tenured Associate Professor of Medical Psychology, Schucman was assisted by Dr. William Thetford, her department head, who was also a tenured Professor of Medical Psychology at the Medical Center where they both worked. A Course in Miracles was first published in 1975." This Course consists of three volumes: the Text, Workbook for Students, and the Manuel For Teachers. There is a book I think of as a kind of "fourth volume" of the Course called, The Gifts of God, a book of devotional poetry authored by Helen Schucman, and, like the Course, is published by the Foundation For Inner Peace. I think of "the Course" as a kind of modern-day Gnostic gospel, a mystical text that serves to renew the contemplative message for many people, playing the same role of spiritual catalyst or inspiration as revelations from earlier centuries did, such as the Gospel of Mary Magdalene or the Book of Pistis Sophia (Faith-Wisdom). Note: A great book comparing the Course with Gnostic spirituality is, Love Does Not Condemn, by Kenneth Wapnick, Foundation For A Course In Miracles.


Seeing the Light Within --- Union With God by Contemplating His Light

George Fox, founder of the Quakers, once said, "The Light of God is within everyone". Mystics, past and present, have often described visions of divine Light beyond the darkness, visible to one who concentrates deeply, reaching "the Single Eye", the eye of the soul. Sometimes mystics describe the Light of the soul as like a brilliant, radiant sun. "There is Light within a person of Light, and it illuminates the entire cosmos." (Gospel of Thomas, in the Nag Hammadi Library found in Egypt) "The Light of one soul is equal to that of sixteen suns!" (Guru Kabir) Some have marveled how such a treasury of Light, a galaxy of souls, can remain so veiled by the human condition in realms of dark matter and overcast skies.

Yet, with another kind of sight we have the potential to discover: "There is a Light that this world cannot give.... This Light will attract you as nothing in this world can do. In shining peace within you is the perfect purity in which you were created. Fear not to look upon the lovely truth in you. Look past darkness to the holy place where you will see the Light." (Text, A Course In Miracles)

"Do not cease seeking day or night until you find the mysteries of the Kingdom of Light, which will purify you, make you into pure Light and lead you into the Kingdom of the Light." (Gnostic Book of Pistis Sophia)


Union With God by Contemplating His Sound --- A Melody from Far Beyond the World

"Listen, and see if you remember an Ancient Song you knew so long ago and held more dear than any melody you taught yourself to cherish since."  (A Course In Miracles)

"Your Voice reminds me of an Ancient Song, it was forgotten. Now I hear it again, a Word I thought had been forever dead. (The Gifts of God)

"Homeless are they
Who would abide alone, apart from Me.
Yet would I call them home. My Voice I send
To sing in soundless places. Hear from Me
The Song a Father sings to you, His child;
A Melody from far beyond the world.
Step back and listen, for He comes to bless
And tell you that you are not comfortless

"I walk in stillness. Where my rest is set
Is Heaven. And the silence of the stars
Sings in a soundless circle. For the Song
Of Heaven is past hearing, and ascends
Beyond the tiny range the ear can catch,
And soars into a spaceless magnitude
Where Sound and silence meet in unity."
(Helen Schucman, The Gifts of God)

Divine Grace compassionately comes to the rescue of souls, busting into worlds of law, time and space. The Divine Light and Sound of the Spirit guides souls safely through the "wilderness" of various planes of creation, so that we may return to this Promised Land or Paradise, the Forgotten Eternal State that is our True Home.


The Soul Wrapped in Garments of Sleep

We are soul wearing a mind, wearing a body. Our true identity is not the body we happen to be wearing; our true identity is soul. We are the Observer, the one who sees the Light and hears the Sound. We are the Life emanating from the Place of Life that powers body and mind.

Repeating an affirmation that "I am free" is a noble beginning perhaps, but we must come to know the reality of this freedom. The goal of mysticism is for us to transcend all these "veils" of creation, bodies and subtle bodies, five senses, mind and matter, and know our Self as soul experientially via a daily spiritual practice (meditation). In our awareness we come to know the foundation of our pure essence. We discover that during our perceived exile in the labyrinth of separateness lost somewhere in time, Truth be told, we are soul and are already in heaven --- we never left! Where else would the soul, the child of the Father, be other than the soul-realm, the Place of Life? This is the Secret of Secrets.

Kabir says, "You have slept for millions of years. This morning, will you not wake?" Give birth to yourself in the womb of silence. Close your eyes, see and hear within, "rise above thy mental horizon", examine yourself, discover who you really are, know, come to be.

"Gone is the dream. Awake, My child, in love." (The Gifts of God)

"The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you; Don't go back to sleep. You must ask for what you really want; don't go back to sleep. People are going back and forth across the doorsill where the two worlds touch. The door is round and open. Don't go back to sleep."  (Rumi, Sufi Master)

"Within a Radiance prepared for you
Before time was and far beyond its reach,
Be still and know.
(The Gifts of God)

////////
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Posted: Oct 24, 2006 7:57pm
Recommended Reading & Listening: Anurag Sagar of Dharamdas & Kabir
Oct 6, 2006

Recommended Reading & Listening: Anurag Sagar of Dharamdas & Kabir

Anurag Sagar -- The Ocean of Love,
an Epic Poem Used by the Dharamdasis
and Other Branches of Sant Mat


Sant Mat Fellowship:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SantMatFellowship   

{The one who has purity of character,
who practices diligently the Yoga of Sound,
and who can explain *clearly* Sant Mat
(the complete Path of the Masters with nothing missing),
can be accepted and trusted as Satguru/Teacher.}

Anurag Sagar and Sant Mat

The Ocean of Love -- The Anurag Sagar,
Edited by Russell Perkins,
Published By Sant Bani Books,
Sanbornton, New Hampshire
http://www.santji.allegre.ca/Book-list_March2005.pdf  


Russell Perkins: Anurag Sagar occupies a very unusual place in the literature of the Masters; it is at once one of the most venerated and least known of all esoteric books. It is the Masters themselves who venerate it, and they have often made use of it in one way or another; they themselves are able to read it, but most of their disciples know it only by hearsay, mostly because it is written in the pre-Hindi dialect called Braj which, according to the leading modern scholar on Kabir, had "already by Kabir's time. . .become the lyrical language par excellence" but which is extremely difficult for modern Indians to read; it relates to Hindi as spoken today somewhat as Chaucerian or Middle English relates to our language. There are also problems of interpretation: as with other mythopoeic treatments of these themes (particularly those of Blake, who of all Western writers is closest to Kabir both in spirit and in poetic genius) the poem is dense, at times enigmatic, and always demanding; so that to understand it fully without an authoritative commentary is not easy....

....The alert reader of Swami Ji's Sar Bachan or the books of Sant Kirpal Singh will notice many points of contact. Tulsi Sahib devoted a major portion of one of his principal books to a detailed commentary on certain aspects of the poem. Baba Jaimal Singh considered it to be the most authoritative book on the teachings of the Masters as the following account by his disciple and successor Sawan Singh shows:

"On the fourth day I went to attend Satsang. Baba Ji [Baba Jaimal Singh] was at that time explaining the meaning of Jap Ji Sahib. Well, I started my volley of questions-so much so that the audience got tired and began to feel restless at the large number of questions I had put . . . Now he wanted to point out the way, but I had read Vedanta. When I read Gurbani, my opinion was different; when I read Gita my opinion was again different, and I was unable to come to a decision. At last I applied for eight days leave to enable me to study the teachings of Baba Ji. He advised me to read Kabir Sahib's Anurag Sagar. I immediately ordered eight copies of this book from Bombay so that I could also give some to my friends. . .

"After several conferences with Baba Ji, I was thoroughly convinced and received initiation from him on the 15th day of October in 1894."

That Baba Sawan Singh continued to hold Anurag Sagar in high regard after he became Master is shown by the following account, written by one of his secretaries:

"Hazur [Baba Sawan Singh] one day told Seth Vasdev, whose car is always at Hazur's disposal, that he should read Kabir Sahib's Anurag Sagar (The Ocean of Intense Love). Hazur said that without studying it, one cannot fully understand the difference between Kal (the negative power) and Dayal Mat (the Path of the true and Merciful God), nor can one fully grasp the teachings of Sant Mat.'" (Rai Sahib Munshi Ram, "With the Three Masters", Vol. 2, p.187)

_____

Some Reflections About the Anurag Sagar

In dozens of Sant texts used in the Kabir line of Masters, Kabir symbolises the universal Master, and his gurumukh disciple Dharamdas represents all satsangis or initiates. These texts feature a dialgoue between student and Master, Q and A sessions between "Kabir" and "Dharamdas" that provide the spiritual seeker much insight about how to live the teachings of the Masters. They also motivate the initiate to do simran (Remembrance of God), the mental repetition of God's Name(s), and to meditate upon the Sound Current every day in order to abide in the protection and grace of the Positive Power that defeats Kal (the universal mind, negative power, the Gnostic false god known as the Demiurge) in the lower worlds of illusion.

"The Anurag Sagar of Kabir" is an epic poem attributed to Guru Kabir that probably was authored by Sant Dharamdas or someone in the Dharamdasi branch of the Kabir lineage after the time of Kabir. It is a faithful presentation of the teachings of the Masters including Kabir. Anurag Sagar has become a great spiritual classic of the East, a kind of Sant Mat "Book of Genesis" or "Gospel" of the Four Yugas of time, vast epochs referred to as: Satya Yuga, Treta Yuga, Dvapara Yuga, and Kali Yuga.

The out-of-this-world mysticism of the Masters, including the teachings found in the Anurag Sagar, has been called "Esoteric Santism" by Professor Mark Juergensmeyer in his book, "Radhasoami Reality," Princeton University Press. "Esoteric Santism" is his term for the very developed, detailed decriptions of the experience of inner heavenly regions, the heaven-ascending mysticism practiced by a certain branch of the Kabir lineage known as the Dharamdasis, also by Sant Dariya Sahib of Bihar and his spiritual successors, Param Sant Tulsi Sahib of Hathras, Swami Ji Maharaj of Agra, Huzur Maharaj of Agra, and Sant Mat Masters in certain lineages up to the present time.

Anurag Sagar MP3 Satsangs Online and Related Kabir-Dharamdas Literature

Many have requested information about the Anurag Sagar (Ocean of Love), a beautiful dialogue between Kabir and Sant Dharamdas. Below are links to sites containing the Anurag Sagar as MP3 Satsangs by Russell Perkins, also two different English translations of the Anurag Sagar online. In addition to those, I have included links to excerpts of other related books of Kabir and Dharamdas from the Kabir lineage, lesser-known works of great eloquence such as Sukh Niddn, Amar Mul, and, the Brahm Nirupan. I also have included a link to a beautiful collection of satsang prayers in the Dharamdasi tradition. Some of those include dialogue between Kabir and Sant Dharamdas.

In the Light and Sound of the Beloved,

James
Sant Mat Fellowship


MP3 Satsangs Online Based on the Anurag Sagar, by Russell Perkins

*New File: Anurag Sagar Tape 1 (in MP3 format)

Contains complete "Prologue" and begins "The Story of Creation" to the point where Kal wants to begin his creation. (Pages 3-25).

Reading and Commentary by Russell Perkins

MP3 of Anurag Sagar tape 1:
(90 minutes)
file size: 40 MB

1) Left click on the links below, and a download page will come up.
2) Then right click on the link in the middle of the download page, to save the file to your hard drive:
http://www.archive.org/stream/JamesBeanAnuragSagarOne/AnuragSagar1.mp3



**New File: Anurag Sagar Tape 2 (in MP3 format)

Continues "The Story of Creation" with the conclusion of "The Fall of Kal" and begins "The Creation of the Lower Worlds" to the point where Brahma is interrupted on his quest to find his father. (Pages 25-50).

Reading and Commentary by Russell Perkins

MP3 of Anurag Sagar tape 2:
(90 minutes)
file size: 42 MB
http://www.archive.org/stream/JamesBeanAnuragSagarTwo/AnuragSagar2.mp3



***New File: Anurag Sagar Tape 3 (in MP3 format)

Concludes "The Creation of the Lower Worlds" and continues through a large part of "Kal Traps the Jivas."
(book text: pages 50-80, or pages 34-64 from the online
PDF file: http://www.mediaseva.org/Anurag-02-Creation.pdf  


Reading and Commentary by Russell Perkins

MP3 of Anurag Sagar Tape 3:
(90 minutes)
file size: 41 MB
http://www.archive.org/stream/JamesBeanAnuragSagarThree/AnuragSagar3.mp3



****New File: Anurag Sagar Tape 4 (in MP3 format)

Finishes "Kal Traps the Jivas" and contains "The Coming of Kabir" through the first two ages, and part way into the story of Queen Indra Mati, in the third age. (book text: pages 80-118)

Reading and Commentary by Russell Perkins

MP3 of Anurag Sagar tape 4:
(90 minutes)
file size: 41 MB
http://www.archive.org/stream/JamesBeanAnuragSagarFour/Anuragsagar4.mp3



WRITINGS ONLINE

*Anurag Sagar, Sant Bani Edition Online:
http://www.spiritualawakeningradio.com/anurag.html

*and at:
http://www.geocities.com/anulbird/anuragindex.html   


*Excerpts from the Brahmn Nirupan, Anurag Sagar, and Amar Mul:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SantMatFellowship/message/2071  


**The Brahm Nirupan of Kabir and Sant Dharamdas:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/KABIR/message/61 

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/KABIR/message/77 


*Amar Mul:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/KABIR/message/51  

*More from Amar Mul of Kabir and Dharamdas:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SantMatFellowship/message/2055  


*Kabir SATSANG BOOK OF PRAYERS:
http://www.members.shaw.ca/kabirweb/bookofPrayers.htm


*The Tarn Taran Edition of the Anurag Sagar Online:
http://www.aors-dbbs.org/enter/books/anurag-sagar1/asp1pre001.htm


*Dariya Sahib, Saint of Bihar is believed by some to have been a reincarnaiton of Kabir. In any case, the style of his mystic poetry and hymns is very much in the tradition of the Anurag Sagar. For posts about Dariya, including about his writings as well as the Sant Dariya Sahib Website, see:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SantMatFellowship/msearch?query=dariya&charset=windows-1252   

 

 
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