Surat Shabd Yoga

Biography

HIS LIFE AND WORK

HIS THOUGHT AND PHILOSOPHY

THE TWO ESSENTIALS

RELIGIOUS PRACTICES

SOCIAL PROBLEMS OF THE DAY APPRAISAL

HIS LIFE AND WORK

Shri Shiv Dayal Singhji who was later named Soamiji Maharaj was born on 25th
August 1818, in a Khatri family residing in Panni Gali, Agra. His father, Dilwali Singh, a
banker by profession was a highly religious person. Indeed, all members of the family were
devout bhaktas and frequently visited Tulsi Saheb - a great saint who lived
at Hathras (U.P.). Thus Soamiji grew up in an atmosphere charged with religious devotion
and conductive to the formulation of his religious ideas.

Deep religiosity became evident in Shiv Dayalji from early childhood and he started regular
spiritual practice at the age of six. Tulsi Saheb of Hathras had earlier prophesied about the
child spiritual status and as such he began receiving reverential treatment from his parents.
He spent most of his time in spiritual pursuits, often shutting himself up in a small room for
days. It is said that he would not even attend to the calls of nature.

At the age of five, he was sent to school where he learnt Hindi, Urdu, Persian and
Gurumukhi. Later he acquired proficiency in Persian and wrote a book in that language. He
also acquired a working knowledge of Arabic and Sanskrit. As a student he was
generous and affectionate towards his fellow students and respectful to his teachers.

He was married at an early age to Naraini Devi, daughter of Izzat Rai of Faridabad. She was
of generous disposition and was very devoted to her husband. Shiv Dayalji was selected
direct from school to act as a Persian expert to a government officer in Banda. As the job did
not suit him, he gave it up and took another job as a teacher of Persian with a talukdar of
Ballabhgarh estate. His spiritual cravings, however, were so intense that worldly attainments
no longer attracted him and he gave up even this lucrative job. He returned home for
devoting his entire time to religious pursuits.

Soamiji did not approve of the family's money-lending business and soon after his father's
death and his his younger brother's employment in the postal department, he wound up the
business. One day, he called the debtors and asked them to return the money forthwith, if
they could, and destroyed all the documents in their presence to relieve them of their
obligation to repay.
Soamiji's reputation as a great spiritualist and saint spread far and wide. Even when he was a
boy, he delivered discourses on metaphysical topics. High philosophical ideas and spiritual
sermons delivered by an adolescent amazed the people who listened spellbound. Soon a large
number of sadhus, faqirs and seekers after
truth flocked around him. He met many challenges from prominent ecclesiastics of
the day with remarkable success. Not only was he able to convince them about the superiority
of the spiritual truth revealed to him but he also succeeded in bringing home to them the
efficacy of his new religious teachings.

His gracious and serene personality left a deep imprint upon many a learned man who
became his ardent followers. On the request of his beloved disciple, Rai Saligram, he laid the
foundation of the Radhasoami Satsang on Basant-Panchami day in January 1861. The
Satsang grew rapidly and the number of devotees in his life-time rose to three
thousand, which included men and women from all the major communities of India. For full
seventeen years he presided over the Satsang meetings at his residence, Panni Gali, Agra.

Over-absorption in spiritual work and neglect of nourishment and rest adversely

affected Soamiji's health and he left for his heavenly abode on Saturday, 15 June 1878. His
samadhi is situated in
Radhasoami Bagh, about three miles from Agra city.

Some miracles are associated with Soamiji Maharaj and his satsang. It is said that he could
bring rain when there was drought and
famine. Barren lands could be converted into fertile ones. People in the satsang were so
spellbound that for hours they would remain in a state of trance and forget all about their
worldly duties.

Satsang at his place was a sober and serene affair. There was no pomp and show. It was just a
gathering of ardent seekers after truth around a mystic saint. It cannot, therefore, be
associated with the gorgeous delicacies of the Vaishnavite traditions. J. N. Farquahar's
contention that Soamiji and his spouse played the roles of Krishna and Radha seems to be
unfounded.

HIS THOUGHT AND PHILOSOPHY

(A) Concept of Supreme Being

Soamiji's Supreme Being is formless, indescribable, unfathomable, endless and

nameless. He is omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent. His attributes are grace, mercy,
love, light, bliss and peace. He is all pure and all spiritual and as such far beyond the reach of
mind and matter. When manifested, He is known as Sat
Purush Radhasomi and this name, according to Soamiji, has been by the Supreme Being
Himself who is the ultimate and highest reality.

In his writings, Soamiji has often elicited the relation of a devotee with the Supreme
Being with the help of such similes as were used by medieval saints and mystics. He did not
challenge the existence of the Brahman and His Avatars of Hinduism or the God of
Christianity or the Allah of Islam. He only contends that the region of their origin are lower
than that of Sat Purush Radhasoami and are not absolutely free from maya; hence it
would be wrong to conceive any one of them as Supreme Being. According to him,
Radhasoami is the highest authority and the Lord of them all. No one except the sants
could conceive Him. The sants alone have the knowledge of
the purely spiritual region beyond the limit of maya.

(B) Concept of Creation

According to Soamiji, before the creation, the Supreme Being was ina state of sunn
samadhi- ellipsoid. Through His mauj (divine will ) or inner vibrations, a spiritual current
with a resonant sound emanated from Him and created a spiritual grand division or the
Nirmal- Chaitanya Desh or the Fourth region. Beginning from Radhasoami pad, it
created first the Agam Lok, then the Alakh Lok and finally the Sat Lok. He describes
these regions as refulgent
having pure spirituality, bliss, love and peace. Radhasomi Pad- the
highest of these regions- is so infinite and fathomless, that it can not

be styled as a "Place". Soamiji considers the Fourth Region as indissoluble because of its all-
prevading spiritual attributes.

Below Sat Lok, Soamiji in coformity with the Hindu concept, believes in the three
regions of creation. One of the emanation of Sat Purush known as Kal, who possessed
mind and matter, was provided with spiritual energy (adya ) which he required for creation
through the grace of Sat Purush. Kal with adya (prominent spiritual energy) and with
akshar purush (latent spiritual enegy) created Brahmand, the second grand division. Its
important regions are Sunna, Trikuti and Sahasdal Kanwal. Spiritual components
dominated the Brahmand but pure matter (maya) was descernible
there. Brahmand is seat of Universal Mind and the five tattvas and the three
gunas emanated from there. Kal and adya, then, assumed the forms of Niranjan and
jyoti to ceate the third grand division known as And Desh or the three sub-regions of
Brama, Vishnu and Mahesh. In the end Pind Desh was created which consisted of of
sixth ganglia and nine apertures pertaining to the physical body. Soamiji propounds that the
spirit entity is encased in the Pind (material world and physical body) and has thus fallen a
prey to Kal's oppression and expoitations

(C) Concept of Surat or Spirit Entity

The spirit Entity has been described as surat by Soamiji. It is an

infinitely small unit of the Supreme Being; naturally it has the same characterstic as
those of the Supreme Being. Surat is therefore a descendent of the highest region of
creation. After traversing through the different regions it has come down to the teesra til
just below the Sahasdal Kanval in the physical body. Here surat gets enmeshed in five
tattvas, three gunas, mind and matter, and the indriyas. It also gets chained in several
bondages such as that of property honour, position, fame family and kinfolk. The surat in
such a state is called jiva- which has to undergo the cycle of birth, death and rebirth and
assume various forms (chaurasi laksh) in accordance with its insatiable desires and the
load of karma.
The surat is thus rendered helpless in extricating itself from these
bondages. The feelings of pleasure, pain and suffering increase so much that it forgets
all about its return to its original home and loses all consciousness about the reality of its
nature.

(D) Concept of Salvation

According to Soamiji, surat can return to its original abode after it

has extricated itself from worldly bonds. This home-coming, he holds, is true
salvation. The surat would then be freed of the pangs
of worldly pleasures and pains and the cycle of chaurasi laksh. It would, therefore, easily
cross the jurisdiction of Kal and enjoy eternal bliss and peace. Salvation is the ultimate goal
of surat and it
can advance towards it only through its affinity with and attraction for shabd.
Shabd alone can guide the surat on its way back to higher regions of creation and finally in
reaching its eternal abode
(E) Concept of Shabd

According to Soamiji, shabd (eternal sound-current) is the first manifestation of the

Supreme Being. It is the supreme energy and the prime source of all creation. The resonance
of the sound-current is known as nam (holy name) which resounds in the innerself of all
jivas.

Shabd and surat both have the same attributes; rather surat has an inherent
attraction for shabd. Soamiji holds that by following the prescribed inner practice (surat
shabd yoga) Surat can get attached to Shabd and after passing through several higher
regions, it can one day reach its final abode. The Santsatguru of the time alone
possesses the key to the secret of the shabd.

(F) Concept of Sant Satguru

While maintaining that Santsatguru is the manifestation of the

Supreme Being on earth. Soamiji confirms to the earlier sant traditions and revives
the ancient beliefs of Hinduism. He holds that although the Santsatguru has assumed
human form,yet he should not be identified with a human being. In fact,he is the spiritual
current personified and has come to this world with a mission to grant redemption to
suffering humanity. In his grace,the Santsatguru grants spiritual progress and eternal
peace and bliss to all those jivas who are real seekers after truth and are keen on throwing
away the shackles of Kal and maya.

THE TWO ESSENTIALS

A perusal of Soamiji's religious thought shows that the two essentials emphasized by
him are guru-bhakti (devotion to the
master), and surat-shabd-yoga (inner spiritual practice).

(A) Guru-Bhakti
According to Soamiji, the spiritual current emanating from the Supreme Being has appeared
in human form on this earth and it would ever remain here until all jivas have been
redeemed . The
continuous process of the manifestation of the spiritual current in the human form
necessitates the extraordinary status and value of the guru of the time. Soamiji ,
therefore,exhorts jivas to search for
the living adept and when he found , to serve him in all sincerity with body , mind
and soul . He further asserts that those who desire redemption , should have singular devotion
to and love for the holy feet of the Santsatguru. He alone can reveal unto the inner self of
the jivas the holy name in order to set them free from the cycle of
chaurasi .

Soamiji's writings are full of directions which the jivas should earnestly follow in order to
find a living adept . He has also described the mode of performing ideal guru-bhakti in the
satsang .
According to him satsang would generate love and devotion and would purify his
mind . He defines satsang as the company of Santsatguru or the Sadhguru at a place
where people assemble to pray to the Supreme Being and to listen to discourses of the
Santsatguru. It is only through satsang that jivas would ultimately come to recognize
the difficulties and doubts removed , and receive instructions to improve their difficulties and
doubts removed , and receive instructions to improve their conduct in the world . Regular
participation in satsang would enable devotes to perform spiritual practice successfully .

(B) Shabd-Bhakti or Surat-Shabd-Yoga

Surat-Shabd-Yoga is the inner spiritual practice preached by Soamiji. It literally

means the union of surat (spirit entity) with shabd (the holy resonance of the sound
current). According to him, guru-bhakti would facilitate the shabd-bhakti. Soamiji
revealed to the world the resonant sounds of the different higher regions and described
thoroughly the dhun (sound), dham (region) and dhani (master) of all the higher
divisions of creation. He asserts that one who is initiated into Radhasoami faith and performs
ideal gurubhakti, can practise surat-shabd-yoga easily and perfectly. This
spiritual exercise can be practised by one and all, and without denouncing their worldly
duties. He further asserts that Surat
Shabd-Yoga is the easiest and best spiritual practice.

HIS VIEWS ON RELIGIOUS PRACTICES

(A) On Atheism and Religious Malpractices

Soamiji expressed his disappointment at the indifference of people towards spiritual pursuits
and warned them about the transitory nature of the world and its objects. He is critical of
persons who deny the existence of supreme power and refuse to see the all pervading truth.
He deplores the people who profess to be followers of Hinduism or Islam but in reality do not
correctly follow the precepts of religion. The prevailing malpractices in Hinduism
attracted his attention and he criticized the worship of man-made idols, rivers, trees, and
plants. He also put forward arguments against various rituals declaring that no one could
attain salvation by their practice.

(B) On Idol-Worship

Turning to idol worship, Soamiji argued that the worship of illusory inanimate objects can
never bring spiritual progress. According to him, the human form with all its supreme
physical, mental and spiritual capabilities is much superior to inanimate objects carved in
stone or bronze and in pictures drawn by men themselves. He deplored the colossal ignorance
shown by devotees in wasting their spiritual energies in the worshiping of such dieties. In this
respect, Soamiji may be compared to Swami Dayanand, another stalwart of Indian
renaissance and the founder of Arya Samaj. Swami Dayanand called idol worship a
pakhand which was not upheald by
the Vedas. According to him, it isdegrading to limit and confine the Infinite
Almighty and the firmless God within thecarvings in stones, metal wood and other inert
objects. Soamiji's approach is different from that of Swami Dayananda. According to him, the
fault does not lie with the images as means of inner contemplation. The human mind is ever
restless in the manifold business of the world and psychologically it is sound to provide some
attraction to divert the attention from matter to spirit. He holds that in the early days, idol
worship was taken in this context, and hence was a means for achieving the desired goal. As
the time rolled on, the purpose came to be neglected and idol worship became an end in itself
and led people to darkness. Taking a realistic view of human nature, Soamiji replaces the
worship of lifeless symbols with that of a living being - the guru of the time - who is adept at
the science and technique of shabd and its abhyas.

(C) On Pilgrimage and Fasts

Soamiji also criticized pilgrimages and fasts which according to Bhagwat dharma had
become part and parcel of Hindu way of life. He considered pilgrimages as useless externalia.
The places hallowed by great saints, he held, once served as centres of spiritual pursuit, but
after their departure form this world the sanctity and the impact of spiritual life completely
disappeared. Instead, these places have been converted into centres of mela and colourful
festivities by
priests for their own material gains.

Discarding fasts he asserted that originally its object was the purification of mind and control
of senses but in course of time the purpose became infructuous, and fasting degenerated into
festivals celebrated with plenty of dainty dishes.

(D) On Vedas

Unlike the exponents of the Brahmo Samaj, Soamiji did not deny the existence of the
Vedas as storehouses of divine knowledge. But, according to him, they did not contain
absolute knowledge. The origin of the Vedas can be traced only to the third grand region of
creation. The fourth region - Nirmal Chaitanya Desh - could not be
conceived by its authors. As the Vedas express limited knowledge,
they cannot be regarded as infalliable.Their limitations have been explored by sants
alone. Soamiji further contended that the secret of true Supreme Being is not disclosed in the
Vedas, he asserted, cannot be attained without the help of a living adept - a fact that has
been forgotten by the exponents.

(E) On Sant Traditions

Soamiji did not spare the followers of earlier sant traditions who
had given up spiritual practice and raised a faith that they could attain salvation by
worshipping Granth or the forms of the past gurus. He warned them repetedly to give up
all such useless externalia. Soamiji reminded them of the definite instructions given in the
Granths for seeking the perfect living guru in order to attain salvation under his guidance.
He also enjoined them to practise such ideals as were originally preached and propagated by
earlier sants.

(F) On Other Religious Sects

Soamiji pointed out the inherent defects, which he thought were present in Islam,
Jainism and Christianity. For example, he was critical of the multifarious extant observances
such as roza, namaz and the like, prevalent in Islam. He did not find any sense in too
much of self-denial practised by the Jains. He admitted the principle of equality and love of
God as practised by Christians, but refused to recognize Christianity as a perfect religion
because it originated from the region of kal and maya. In fact Soamiji did not favour any
religious sect which did not affirm the necessity of a living adept. He emphasised the fact that
real redemption could not be attained until the spirit entity reached its real source (region of
Satpurush
Radhasoami). According to him, these religions entangled the surat in kal and
maya and thus failed to provide real salvation.

(G) On Bachak Gyan (Sophistry)

He is most trenchant in his writings about the sophists. He exposes their inherent
weakness in posing to know too much when in fact they know very little or not at all, about
the true religion. According to him they are merely bachak gyanis who memorize texts of
religious books and recite them in order to befool the ignorant

masses. Religion for them is only a means to achieve their own selfish ends. As they
themselves fail to achieve spiritual height, Soamiji holds, they can never show the path of
salvation to the jivas; they would rather entagle them in the cycle of chaurasi.
Beside, the prevalent knowledge, according to him, did not conform to the Vedanta or
Upanishads.
HIS VIEWS ON SOCIAL PROBLEMS OF THE DAY

In the social sphere, Soamiji touched upon to inter-related evil - the rigid caste system and the
supremacy of the priests. His writings clearly mention that all the four castes had forgotten
their duties especially Brahamans and the kshatriyas who claim superiority over other
sections of society and that they were more concerned about their status than their virtues and
even stooped to any low means to attain selfish ends. He held the priestly class responsible
for all the anomalies prevalent in Hinduism. He criticised the school of renunciation and held
that people renounced the world because of their inability to overcome their passion and
desires.

APPRAISAL

Soamiji delivered to the suffering humanity the message of spiritual solace at a most
appropriate time. The ignorant and illiterate masses, socially held in low esteem by the
priestly classes, had to take shelter under other religion. Not one religious them could save
them from conversion and infuse in them the spirit of self confidence. It was at such a period
of crisis that Soamiji came to their rescue.

He revived the tradition of guru-bhakti. The guru of the time (living adept) was
the pivot round whom religious teachings revolved. He put forward convincing arguments
against ritualism in the prevailing religious beliefs.He delivered the message of true salvation
for the mortals and empahasized a synthesis of karma,
gyana and bhakti. He revealed a Supreme Being who is all - pure and all - spiritual, and
His region - the fourth grand division of creation - as free from kal and maya and the real
abode of surat.

Soamiji's most important contribution to religion is the practice of surat-shabd-yoga. He

first explained the Supreme Energy, the sound - current, the all - spiritual nature both of the
ultimate reality and the spirit entity and the holy name so resonant in the creation. Then he
prescribed a set spiritual exercises by which, the spirit entity could transfered through various
higher regions of creation and finally reach its original abode and enjoy everlasting bliss
peace. His surat-shabd-yoga is easier than pranayam and hath

yoga. The devotee practising this exercise does not have to abandom his normal
wordly duties. According to Soamiji the only pre-requisite to his yoga is true and sincere
devotion to the
santsatguru.

Soamiji's books clearly reveal the might of his pen and force of his arguement. His verse
composition is known as Sar Bachan Chhandband. His poems are replete with
emotional appeal - a successful blending of popular poetic expressions from different
languages of north India such as, Khari-Boli, Awadhi, Brijbhasha, Rajasthani and
Gurumukhi. Many words from Urdu, Persian, Bengali and Sanskrit add to the
cultural synthesis already discernible in Hindi literature ever since the Bhakti period. His
Hindi prose book Sar Bachan Bartik is a valuable contribution to the development of the
Hindi prose just before the advent of Bharatendu Harishchandra. Brevity, staight forward
expressions and emphasis on beliefs are some of the rare qualities of his prose. For a devotee,
His books are the edicts of the Supreme Being.

Among the nineteenth century religious leaders, Soamiji occupies an important place. He
preached the gospel of love and devotion even earlier than Ramakrishna. However, one has
to admit that his teachings are confined to spiritualism alone. He has not touched natrional
problems anywhere in his writings and is indiffernt to other social problems except the caste
system and dominance of priests. A few women who participated in the daily satsang at his
residence discarded purdah and learnt some Hindi to recite from holy bools. Yet
nowhere has Soamiji pleaded for women's emancipation. It seems as if he was only an
advocate of the emancipation of the inner self - the Soul - and as such he did not think it
necessary to divert his attention to socio-political problems. He was a param sant, ever
absorbed in the mysteries of spiritual life.

source: Radhasoami Faith

by: Prof. A.P. Mathur