Radha Soami Satsang Beas (RSSB) is an organization dedicated to a process of inner development under the guidance of a spiritual teacher. The present teacher is Gurinder Singh, who lives with his family at the main centre in northern India. The main centre of RSSB is at Dera Baba Jaimal Singh Ji, located on the banks of the Beas River, in the northern India state of Punjab. Although RSSB is not defined as a religion, the organization's fundamental teachings are in direct conflict with those of other world faiths. Primary conflicts focus on RSSB's belief that the master, currently Gurinder Singh is a living manifestation of God.
The Taj Mahal is an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the south bank of the Yamuna river in. Mahal illustrates the love story held as the inspiration for the Taj Mahal. Muhammad Abdullah Chaghtai Le Tadj Mahal D'Agra (Hindi).
RSSB was founded in India in 1891 and steadily began spreading to other countries. Today, RSSB holds satsangs or teachings in more than 90 countries worldwide.[1] It is a non-profit organisation with no affiliation to any political or commercial organizations. It owns a number of properties worldwide called Science of the Soul Study Centres, where meetings are held. The centres are constructed and maintained primarily by volunteers.[2]
The group teaches a personal path of spiritual development which includes a vegetarian diet, abstinence from intoxicants, a moral way of life and the practice of daily meditation. There are no rituals, ceremonies, hierarchies or mandatory contributions, nor are there compulsory gatherings. Members do not need to give up their cultural identity or religious preference to follow this path.[3]
Radha Soami is a Hindi expression meaning 'Lord of the Soul' in English. Satsang means 'association with Truth' and describes a group that seeks truth.[4]
At the core of the RSSB beliefs is that there is a spiritual purpose to human life, to experience the divinity of God who resides within all of us. It is through this experience that we will realize the truth that there is only one God and we are all expressions of his love.[5]
Central to the RSSB philosophy is a spiritual teacher who explains the purpose of life and guides and instructs members in a method of spirituality based on a daily meditation practice. By performing the meditation practice according to the teacher's instructions, individuals can realize the presence of God within themselves. It is a solitary practice that is done in the quiet of one's own home. Members commit themselves to a way of life that supports spiritual growth while carrying out their responsibilities to family, friends and society.[6]
To build on the primary spiritual practice of meditation, members are lacto-vegetarian, abstain from alcohol and recreational drugs, and are expected to lead a life of high moral values. The lacto-vegetarian diet encourages respect and empathy for all life and acknowledges that there is a debt to be paid for taking any life both necessarily and unnecessarily. Abstaining from intoxicants improves one's ability to concentrate and calms the mind during meditation. Members are encouraged to be self-supporting and not be a burden on society. They are free to make their own choices in life and maintain any cultural or religious affiliations they choose. RSSB does not involve itself in the personal lives of its members.[7] None of the Radha Soami teaching suggests the change of one's religion.[8]
The Beas lineage is:
An Indian spiritual movement, also known as Sat May (the way of the Saints), that emerged in the nineteenth century in northern India. It is one of the most important but least known of Indian religious movements, its teachers often being cited as either Hindus or Sikhs. The movement was founded in 1861 by Shiv Dayal Singh (1818-1878) of Agra, but had its base in the earlier teachings of Tulsi Singh who taught through the first four decades of the century. Known as 'Soamiji Maharaj' by his disciples, he taught three basic principles of religious life: 1) Satguru, a term embracing the Absolute Lord and living human Master; 2) Shabd or sound current (spoken or writtenexpression, and also inner spiritual sound); and 3) Satsang, association of devotees seeking spiritual truth.
Although drawing on Sikhism, Radhasoami had discarded the Sikh bible, the Adi Granth, in favor of a living Master Teacher (the Satguru). It has also elevated the yoga of the sound current to a preeminent position. The Satguru (or his appointed representative) initiates people into the practice. Members also gather in community, satsang, much as do Christians.
After Soamiji Maharaj passed away, he was succeeded by Rai Salig Ram, and in turn by Pandit Brahma Shankar Misra in1907. After the passing of Brahma Shankar Misra, questions over the succession led to a division of the movement under two competing gurus: Sri Kamta Prasad Sinha (known as 'Param Guru Sarkar Sahib') and Buaji Maharaj, sister of Brahma Shankar Misra. Further divisions occurred throughout the twentieth century as different rival leaders emerged claiming a succession. Among the different Stagurus who have appeared in America seeking followers are Kirpal Singh, Guru Maharaj Ji, and Ajaib Singh. ECKANKAR and the several groups that have developed from it are Westernized groups based on Radhasommi teachings but without the Punjabi appearance of its leaders.
The two groups within the larger movement became known as the Radhasoami Satsang, Beas, and the Ruhani Satsang, both descended from the founder Shiv Dayal Singh through Baba Jaimal Singh, whose satsang was based at Beas, Punjab.
Baba Jaimal Singh passed away in 1903 and was succeeded by his disciple Sawan Singh (1858-1948). Sawan Singh had a profound influence in the spread of teachings relating to Shabd-Yoga, the pathway of sacred sound current. On the passing of Sawan Singh, he was succeeded by his grandson Charan Singh (b. 1916). Some disciples challenged Charan Singh's leadership and began alternative movements. Amongst these was Kirpal Singh, who established the Ruhani Satsang in Delhi. Charan Singh initiated many thousands of people and the Beas groups expanded remarkably under his leadership. Kirpal Singh began the Ruhani Stasang in 1951 and in 1955 made the first of several trips to the west. An energetic leader, his movement spread around India, and because of his periodic present, his movement grew in North America. Paul Twitchell (founder of ECKANKAR) was disciple of Kirpal Singh and left to found a movement which kept all of the substance of the tradition but had a new terminology and a Western facade. From ECKANKAR came the Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness (MSIA) founded by John-Roger Hinkins; MasterPath founded by Gary Olsen; and the Ancient Teachings of the masters founded by Darwin Gross. The Divine Light Mission (now known as Elan Vital), brought to the West by Guru Maharaj Ji in the early 1970s, represents a new infusion of an Indian-based Radhasoami lineage.
The teaching that a mystical sound current heard in meditation may bring about higher consciousness is central to Radhasoami beliefs and also had been an important part of the meditation techniques of traditional yoga practice, though it was a rare practice by the time of the career of Tulsi Singh. It was cited in such yoga manuals as the Hatha-Yoga-Pradipika of Svatmarama Svamin and the Siva Samhita. It is also loosely related to the special significance attached to the sacred trisyllable AUM in the Hindu Vedanta.
The main address of Radhasoami Satsang is: P.O. Dera Baba Jaimal Singh, Via Beas, Dist. Amritsar, India.
Cameron, David. Who Is Guru Maharaj Ji?New York: Ballantine Books, 1973.
Fripp, Peter. The Mystic Philosophy of Sant Mat. London: Neville Spearman, 1964.
Lane, David Christopher. The Making of a Spiritual Movement. Del Mar, Calif.: Del Mar Press, 1983.
----. The Radhasoami Tradition: A Critical History of Guru Successorship.New York: Garland Publishing, 1992.
Adobe flash player file location. Radhasoami Satsang Beas and its Teachings. Beas, India: Radha Soami Satsang, n.d.
Singh, Charan. Light on San Mat. Beas, India: Radha Soami Satsang, Beas, 1958.
Radha Soami, or Radhasoami Satsang, is a religious organization founded by Shiv Dayal Singh in 1861 on Basant Panchami Day in the Indian subcontinent.[1][2] The nameless God beyond the gods is given a name: it is Radhasoami, according to those who follow the Agra branches of the movement. Repetition of the name (or names) enables the seeker to gain access to their energy to lift his/her own internal energy currents to the higher levels of God-consciousness, the realm of ethereal light and sound.[3] The Radhasoami conception of the interior realm alluded to by the sants is articulated in considerably greater than it was by the sants themselves: it has multiple tiers, the discovery of which involves a journey through increasingly rarefied strata of consciousness.[3], states Mark Juergensmeyer in his book 'Radhasoami Reality: The logic of a modern faith'.
The Radhasoami's, states Mark Juergensmeyer, shows that RS is not an offshoot of Sikhism--despite the common misconception--since it is not directly related; the two traditions, however, share some common roots and a common cultural outlook with Hinduism, for example: some practices and theological concepts such as karma, yoga (shabd) and guru. However, Radhasoamis are also different from Hindus and Sikhs because they reject the concept of a sacred scripture, rituals such as Karah Parshad and pilgrimage gatherings and ceremonies. The Radhasoamis are a religious fellowship that accepts saints and living gurus from anywhere.[4]
The movement started in Agra, its contemporaneous headquarters are in Beas, with parallel branches found in India and outside India.[1][4][5] There are over 30 different Radhasoami groups in the world.[5] Competing Radhasoami groups have headquarters elsewhere such as in Dayalbagh, Agra.
According to Pierluigi Zoccatelli, there were an estimated 3 million Radhasoami followers worldwide in 2004, with many subsects based on the Guru. Of these, the Radha Soami Satsang Beas is the largest[5] and it had 2 million followers.[6] Other subsects and movements influenced by Radhasoami include Divine Light Mission, Eckankar, Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness, Science of Spirituality and others.[6] Some of these groups have tried to distance themselves from the other.[5] Succession upon the death of previous guru has been a source of controversies and schism in the Radhasoami movement since the beginning.[5]
According to Mark Juergensmeyer, the term 'Radha Soami' is a vaishnava phrase for God (lit. 'the lord [Swami or Soami] of Radha, the concert of Krishna') despite the movement does not believe in an anthropomorphic God; however, so the term 'Radhasoami' mean the master of spiritual energy.[7] Whereas the Agra branches viz. Dayalbagh, Soamibagh believe that Radhasoami is neither a phrase nor a derivative, but the supreme being itself in the form of sound (Dhwanyatmak) and light(Chaitanyam).
Idhazhin Oram The –:- Aishwarya Dhanush, Ajeesh, Ravichander 05. Kannazhaga – Singers:- Dhanush, Shruti Haasan 06.
The writings of Swami Dayal use the term Sat Nam, rather than Radhasoami. The gurus and the tradition that followed him used the term Radhasoami during the initiation rites, meditation practices and as mutual greeting. This has led to the fellowship being commonly called Radha Soami.[8] In some subtraditions of Radhasoami, states Lucy DuPertuis, the guru's charisma is considered as the 'formless absolute', being in his presence is equivalent to experiencing the incarnation of the Satguru, the guru is identified as the Radhasoami.[9]
To the Radhsoamis, six elements form the framework of their faith:[10]
The Radha Soami Satsang believes that living gurus are necessary for a guided spiritual life.[1] They do not install the Guru Granth Sahib or any other scriptures in their sanctum, as they consider it ritualistic. Instead, the guru sits in the sanctum with the satsang (group of Sikh faithfuls) and they listen to preachings from the Adi Granth and sing hymns together.[1] They believe in social equality, forbid caste distinctions and have attracted Dalits to their tradition. They are active outside India, and attracted converts to their movement.[1]
The Radhasoami are strict vegetarians. They are active in charitable work such as providing free medical services and help to the needy. They do believe in some orthodox Sikh ritual practices such as covering one's head inside the temple or removing shoes, and they serve karah prasad (offering) at the end of prayers.[1] Their basic practices include Surat Shabd Yoga (sound assisted meditation), initiation of disciple into the path by a living guru, obedience to the guru, a moral life that is defined by abstinence from meat, drugs, alcohol and sex outside marriage. They also believe that jivanmukti or inner liberation is possible during one's lifetime with guidance of the living guru.[5]
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