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company of saints
May 2009 
Keeping the company of saints
M. Alan
I was talking (well, messaging, via internet chat) with a good friend on the Path, and she mentioned "keeping the company of saints". More and more I am realising the importance of keeping the company - that is, keeping in one's consciousness the Presence of - realised beings.
Currently I am reading Only God: A Biography Of Yogi Ramsuratkumar: Regina Sara Ryan. This tells the life of Yogi Ramsuratkumar, one of the very few authentic Enlightened beings.
And while almost thirty years ago I started out and remain dedicated to the path of Integral Yoga taught by Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, more and more I am feeling the need to attune to the lives and Personalities of other Great Realisers (as Wilber would call them, such as Ramana, Nityanada, Yogi Ramsuratkumar, Nisargadatta, Ramdas, and others. In this way I avoid the literalism and religionism that comes about when one follows or relate to only a single Master or Realiser. At the same time I find myself profoundly inspired by the examples they set of their lives, and elevated by the Light that shines through them, and which is evident even in their photographs and biographies.
This is what I call "keeping the company of saints". You don't ahve to be in Their presence, as long as contact is made in some manner.
This can then be a Path to Enlightenment. By attuning to different Realisers, one avoids being attached to particular forms. Because despite the differences in the externals or superficiality of each, and even often differences in Teachings, it is the same Light that shines through each. And that Light - the Light of the Supreme - is what leads one to Liberation. This is why, I believe, so many great Teachers speak of the necessity of a Guru. It could even be said, for the progressive and non-literalist Christian for example, that the historical Jesus is their Guru.
Generally great Realisers lived in the past, whether it be a century ago or twenty centuries ago. But reading about Yogi Ramsuratkumar, who died only a few years ago (in 2001), made me wonder if there are any true or completely Enlightened beings around today. Of Intermediate Zoners there are plenty, but authentic and complete Realisers?
Does anyone here on Zaadz/Gaia know of any Realisers (I mean the real deal) who are still in their physical body? Or is it that such beings - being humble and not self-aggrandising, with usually only small followings - generally only become known through biographies published after their death? This is something that is interesting to consider, even though - thanks to the timeless nature of Enlightened Beings and Avatars - it is not necessary to have a phsyically embodied Guru or Gurus to keep the Company of such great beings.
Access: Public
Yes, Alan there is a very powerful spiritual teacher who charges nothing for his services, and does not have a traceable organization as we would understand(ie. Satsang, Ashram, Mandir, etc). He lives in England, and has an excellent reputation. There are barely any references of him on the internet. His name is Harjit Singh, and made the point to me that many gurus are unknown to the general public.
He is a recognized successor of Baba Faqir Chand whose line of teachers goes back to Shiv Dayal Singh the founder of the Radhasoami Faith. However, neither he, or Harjit Singh teach pure “surat shabd yoga” as such, and regard it as one of many paths of God.
I include a link here
http://www.babafaqirchand.com/index.html
If you go to the audio section of the above you can download extracts of his devotional music, or bhajans. This is charged with power, and if you are sensitive you will feels its power. Just talking to him on the phone you can also pick this up, and feel uplifted.
I am sure you must have read my experience with Harjit Singh on the gaia website along with that of Dr. Sharma (main successor of Faqir Chand). Meditation should be a SPONTANEOUS, and NATURAL PROCESS
Apologies I did not end the above comment due to an “interference”. As mentioned meditation should be a SPONTANEOUS, and NATURAL PROCESS. This can happen I believe if the guru is genuine, and can transmit power to the aspiring seeker, and/or chela.
Anyway, it is upto you.I should point out that the email address on the website above does not seem to work. However, I do have Harjits correct address but I can only give it out privately if you want to persue this matter. The ball is in your court. Ofcourse, there are many other teachers…………..
Hi Robert!
At the moment I am attuning to Yogi Ramsuratkumar, so I want to go with taht process, at least for a while, and see where it leads. But I'll keep your recommendation in mind!
What you say Harjit Singh says about many gurus being unknown to the general public sounds very true to me. It seems that authentic Realised Beings would want to stay private, and not be bothered by swarms of devotees, who only hinder Their Work. On the other hand mass market ones who charge money are at best sincere but even when possessed of genuine transcendent experiences are still in the realm of the Intermediate Zone (as Sri Aurobindo calls it) between ordinary consciousness and true enlightenment. The whole “spiritual supermarket” seems to me full of such well-meaning but deluded individuals, who have had only a partial opening.
It is excellent that you are trying to attune yourself with Yogi Ramsuratkumar. He may be the right one for you…who knows…only you can decide! Even if one spends ones whole lifetime trying to find the “right” teacher it is NOT time wasted, because in the next life due to “your” karmas you may find the correct one for you!
Ofcourse, there are so-called truth-seekers who are just into psychic, and spiritual “thrill-seeking”. Obviously though you do not fit that category. As far as I can see you are a genuine Truth-Seeker, and I hope you find what you want .
Maybe other people can offer ideas, and suggestions on all this……..I have said my piece.
Robert Searle.
hi Robert
you said:
Maybe other people can offer ideas, and suggestions on all this……..I have said my piece.
Thanks for the feedback anyway! Yeah there don't seem to be many people writing comments here, in relation to a year or two ago
I guess the community here is changing, most of the people I know (apart from you) are not as active here as before; probably moved ion to other forums or projects. (Although i have also made one or two new friends). I suppose i should check around the different discussions here, comment on other people's blog posts, and so on. But of course, the true spiritual work is done in silence, everything else is just mental and empotional distraction.
best wishes
alan
I found a teacher 23 years ago when I was not looking–but an inner current of consciousness in me was I guess. The face to face contact with someone with more “light” than me stirred my centres–I felt bed spinning and whirlling after the second meeting.
Instead of the intellectual occupation with text– you may want to circulate physically, staying open like the fool card in the tarot pack, and see what clicks. Enjoy the spinning like a dervish. If nothing does, you've got the spirit of Aurobindo/Mother to call to and of course, as is stated above, the silence.
Very interesting post Alan.
A similar thought crossed my mind a week ago. I was taking a walk with my dog in a wooded area and I stumbled up on some trash on the way that I picked up. Because I had started picking it up I thought I'd pick up some more.. then it developed into me actualy seeking and picking up all the trash I could find. On the way I found a photo of Mataji Nirmala Devi on the ground, guru of Sahaja Yoga. The sahaja/kundalini classes are free but not close to this spot in the city; a follower or attendant must have dropped it there.
It made me realise that what I was actually doing was karma-yoga, because I wasn't only physically picking up the trash but also focusing the mind on a higher purpose, for nature or the greater-good.
But it also made me think about the “guru question” and the belief within Sahaja Yoga that the guru can provide instant realization through the crown chakra and that photographs of her emit a “cool breeze” beneficial to practicioners.
However, I don't believe Mataji Nirmala Devi is an Enlightened being but rather an Intermediate Zoner.
Another coincidence then occurred more recently as I stumbled on a news article on Ram Bahadar Bomjan. Some people consider him to be Buddha but he denies it. He's very young and still on his meditative quest to enlightement and observes strict asceticism to the point of disbelief… anyway I think it's better to read about him oneself:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ram_Bahadur_Bomjon
hi Kev
i find photos convey more than text; though words are good too, if biographical, though hagiographies tend to be pretty uncritical. I've never met anyone like that in person. Also authentic Enlighetned Beings are very rare, although the fakes and the partial realisers seem to be quite common. It is probbaly not very hard to attain some opening to inner spiritrual or intermediate realisation. But authentic egodeath and Full Enlightenment would be much rarer
Creative Philosopher:
Thanks for the Ram Bahadur Bomjon link. I'd never heard of him but after reading the wikipedia page he does seem to have a Ramana-like quality about him. It is inspiring to learn that there are still beings like that around!
Mataji Nirmala Devi: I heard Mataji Nirmala Devi talk many many years ago. In no way did she seem Enlightened. And she certainly didnt seem to be on the level even of Gangaji; perhaps she's more equivalent to Guru Maharaji, i.e. not even Intermediate Zone.
Instant Realisation thru crown chakra - well none of her followers seemed to me to be any different to ordinary unenlightened people.
Cool breeze, yeah her devotees mentioned something about that. i used to sometimes get something like that spontaneously (before i saw Mataji) when i would meditate when i was about 21 (I don't get it now). It probably just refers to a flow of ch'i energy.
Mataji's photos emmitting a cool breeze - never heard of that, but if so it indicates some sort of occult phenomenon. More likely it is just autosuggestion because the devotees have this association of cool breeze = enlightened.
Nirmala Mataji and some of her followers are associated with abusive behavior:
www.kheper.net/topics/gurus/Sahaja-cult.htm
www.kheper.net/topics/gurus/sahaja_yoga.htm
www.kheper.net/topics/gurus/sahaja-test.html
Worth looking up on Rick Ross and the blogosphere as well. If I hear about a new guru i will always check to see if there is any trail of reports of abusive or narcisistic behaviour, a sure-fire sign that the so-called guru or spiritual master in question is not the real deal.