Surat Shabd Yoga - Movements and Masters

Movements and Masters

Adherents believe Surat Shabda Yoga has been expressed through the movements of many different masters. However, because a basic principle of Surat Shabd Yoga's tradition is the requirement for an outer Living Master to initiate followers onto the Path, those movements whose historical Satgurus have died and their successors do not purport themselves to be Surat Shabd Yoga Satgurus, usually are not considered currently to be Surat Shabd Yoga movements, either by their own leaders or by movements with current Living Masters.

The Radhasoami movement of Surat Shabda Yoga was established by Shiv Dayal Singh (1818–1878) in 1861 and named "Radhasoami Satsang" circa 1866. Soamiji Maharaj, as he was known, presided over the satsang meetings for seventeen years at Panni Gali and Soami Bagh in Agra, India, until he died on June 15, 1878. Accounts of his guru and successors vary, although he did give verbal instructions on his last day as to how his followers should be cared for. According to Radha Soami Satsang Beas, his guru was Tulsi Sahib of Hathras. According to Soami Bagh and Dayal Bagh successors, Tulsi Sahib was a contemporary guru of the same teachings, but being a natural born Satguru, Shiv Dayal Singh himself had no guru.

After his death, six immediate successors carried on Shiv Dayal Singh’s teachings, including Huzur Maharaj Rai Salig Ram of Peepal Mandi, Agra, and Babaji Maharaj Jaimal Singh of Dera Baba Jaimal Singh the present day headquarters of (RSSB), Radha Soami Satsang Beas. More information on living masters related to Shiv Dayal Singh's lineage can be found in the Contemporary Sant Mat movement article.

Sant Kirpal Singh, a contemporary Sant Mat guru, stated that "Naam" ("Word") has been described in many traditions through the use of several different terms. In his teachings, the following expressions are interpreted as being identical to "Naam":

• "Naad", "Akash Bani", and "Sruti" in the Vedas
• "Nada" and "Udgit" in the Upanishads
• "Logos" and "Word" in the New Testament
• "Tao" by Lao Zi
• "Music of the Spheres" by Pythagoras
• "Sraosha" by Zoraster
• "Kalma" and "Kalam-i-Qadim" in the Qur'an
• "Naam", "Akhand Kirtan" and "Sacha ('True') Shabd" by Guru Granth Sahib

The more recently promulgated Quan Yin Method of meditation espoused via the spiritual teachings of Supreme Master Ching Hai has notable similarities to Surat Shabd Yoga.

Eckankar, an American movement, has many links to Surat Shabd Yoga, including terminology, although its American founder Paul Twitchell disassociated himself from his former teacher Kirpal Singh.

The Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness, also founded in America in 1971 by John-Roger and now with students in 32 countries, also teaches a similar form of active meditation, called spiritual exercises, using the Sound Current and ancient Sanskrit tones in order to traverse and return back to the higher realms of Spirit and into God.

MasterPath is another contemporary American movement of Surat Shabda Yoga. Gary Olsen, the current Living Master (of this branch), contends that several historical figures are Sat Gurus of Surat Shabda Yoga as representatives for the eternal Inner Shabda Master. A few of these Living Masters of their times include Lao Tsu, Jesus, Pythagoras, Socrates, Kabir, the Sufi Masters and mystic poets Hafez and Rumi, the Ten Sikh Gurus beginning with Guru Nanak, Tulsi Sahib, and the Radhasoami/Radha Soami and offshoot Masters, including Shiv Dayal Singh, Baba Sawan Singh, Baba Faqir Chand and Sant Kirpal Singh.

The ten Sikh Satgurus discuss the inner sound and inner light a lot in their scriptures. The first Sikh Satguru was Guru Nanak, but his master (guru) was Waheguru. The above masters teach these 2 techniques. There is a master that teaches 4 techniques that include these 2 of inner light and inner music. He teaches inner light (sight), inner music (hearing), primordial vibration (sense of touch) and nectar (taste and smell).

These correspond to the 5 senses and this is how you turn them inward to experience what is inside of you. See Vishnu with his 4 arms and they correspond to these. One hand is holding a circle (chakra) of light. Another is holding a conch shell for the inner sound (hold it to your ear and you hear something). Another hand is holding a lotus flower to refer to nectar and the 4th hand is holding a metal club (mace) for the inner vibration. If you hit something with it, it vibrates like a tuning fork. Some people refer to this inner energy as the soul.