Walking The Razor's Edge One of the challenges in presenting Sant Mat to the general public is: there is no catch-all spiritual teaching to suite everybody. People are generally at a different stages of spiritual development. On top of that, we all have different prejudices, desires, capacities, strengths, weaknesses etc. Sant Harjit Singh, acknowledging the situation and also his role as a spiritual Guide has commented, "There are different sadhanas for different stages of the path. If you teach someone at the intermediate stage a sadhana for a beginner; they will loose interest. If someone at the elementary level does a sadhana of a higher stage; they will become frustrated and (also) loose interest. This is where a Guru comes in."
There is a Punjabi phrase called pushatava which describes those painful instances when something precious is glimpsed, held on to and then lost. It is like a metaphor for falling in and out of love also. Similarly, a person may experience a high level realization or satori (samadhi) but in the absence of a strong foundation; this will be a fleeting encounter. Usually such instances are followed by sorrow or frustration; if not more dramatic, psychological upheavals. For such reasons the spiritual path has often been called 'the razor's edge.' Another challenge also falls upon the head of any earnest spiritual seeker. This involves cultivating enough humility to seek wise advice or guidance from those with practical experience on the path. This topic strikes a deep cord within me. Recently, a bright and talented sadhaka with whom I had previously practiced once told me that he was the most highly realized being to ever walk the Earth. And he was very serious. I found it strange that he possessed an agitated temperament and that peace seemed to have eluded him. Another experienced meditator I've met reportedly ascended to "the highest heavens" of inner Light and Sound during his first initiation sitting. He was regarded as a high level initiate with illumined wisdom, displaying supernatural powers and the like. Many years later it came as a shock to hear that the same individual had regressed back to "old habits" and is currently imprisoned for manslaughter. So there are many `blind alleys' on the spiritual path. Baba Sri Chand Ji (Guru Nanak's son) has advised us that first we must separate ourselves from all disputes (of who is right and who is wrong) and still the mind. For example, if there are 5oz of gold buried in 5tons of sand; we must make sure to separate the two. Then, we must check that we're left with gold in our hands. Likewise, surat shabad yoga, under the guidance of a wise teacher, is one such method of separation. When the task is done, we calmly exit the baffling hall of mirrors like a thief in the night, with the wealth of peace and Self Knowledge in our hands. Note: We have uploaded a new Maha Mantra photo album which you can view in the photos section of the Faqir Chand Legacy Yahoo! Group site http://www.babafaqirchand.com/ To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
