Spiritualism

The Science of the Soul is a collection of the illuminating discourses and excerpts from letters and talks by Maharaj Jagat Singh Ji, the Master at Beas from 1948 to 1951. It is a masterly exposition of the teachings of the Saints and speaks vividly of who the Masters are, the downfall of the soul and how it can return Home.

The following article is from Maharaj Jagat Singh Ji's book - Science of the Soul. For more info go to www.rssb.org

Science of the soul

In order to fully understand the subject, we must first have a clear description of the term "Saint" or "Sant". So many mistaken notions are there currently about "Sant Mat" [The Teachings of the Saints;]. The term 'Sant', 'Saint' and 'Sadhu' are so widely misunderstood that any beggar in saffron robes is loosely called a Sadhu, which term was originally used to denote a person who is highly developed spiritually, and has crossed the regions of matter and mind.

It should be made clear from the outset that Sadhus do not recommend outward formalities, rites, rituals, modes of living, symbols or any special type of clothing. They are above castes, creeds, races, countries and nationalities. Nor is the term 'Saint" used in the sense in which it is generally applied in the Christian world; that is, one canonised by the Roman Catholic Church, or a holy person. As B.A. and M.A. are degrees connoting academic qualifications, so are the terms 'Saint' or 'Sant' or 'Sadhu' degrees in the school of Spiritual Science.

According to the teaching of the Saints:

  1. "Bhekh" or the Initiate is he who follows the principles of the Teachings of the Saints and makes sincere efforts to tread the path of God-realisation "within", according to the instructions of the Master.
  2. "Shishya" or Sikh is a disciple who has reached the first stage on the Way and who sees the Light of the Flame within. Guru Gobind Singh says "A shishya is he who sees the Living Flame within himself"
  3. "Gyani" is one who has reached the Brahm stage, which is the Fountainhead of all knowledge, whence the creation of the three gunas [Harmony, action/activity and inertia/darkness] and the five tattwas begin. [The essences, elements which are five in number and may be gross or subtle. The entire universe is made up of the five tattwas: earth, water, air, fire, ether]. This is the highest stage of the yogis, gyanis and most of the religions of the world.
  4. "Sadhu" is one who has reached the Par Brahm Region. Kabir says, "Sadhu is he who conquers this fort." The last census recorded the number of so-called sadhus in India at five million. But if you try to find the real Sadhus, perhaps you will not be able to find even five. Kabir says: "None hath seen bags of diamonds, packs of lions, flocks of 'Hansas' or groups of Sadhus"
  5. "Sant" is He who has attained the highest stage and has become one with the Lord. The drop, having merged with the Ocean Itself. "God and God's men are one. There is no distinction." (Kabir)

Teaching of the Saints

The saints come to this world only for one purpose and that is to enlighten souls. And to whatever religion, race or clime they may belong, they teach same things and the basics of their teachings remain the same, just the way changes due to changing times.

  1. Saints' first postulate is: There is a God. The universe is not without a Creator, Sustainer and Protector. He is the ocean of Bliss, He is eternal, birthless and deathless.(Guru Nanak)
  2. All saints teach that our soul is, in essence, a drop from the Ocean of the Lord, whence it separated so long ago as to have totally forgotten its Divine Origin. All its woe and misery will end only when it returns to its Original Home and merges in the Ocean.
  3. All saints agree that God is within us and cannot be realised anywhere outside.

    Guru Nanak says: "Whoever seeketh Him without, findeth Him not, and is engaged in a wild goose chase. He wasteth his time and cometh to grief"

    Christ says: "The Kingdom of God is within you". "Seek thou the Lord there".

    The Quran declares: "Allah is near your royal vein."

    If we really wish to find Him, we have to seek Him within ourselves. He is close to us, physical eyes cannot see Him nor can our physical ears hear His voice. Only when a seeker receives instructions from an Adept and learns to listen to the Divine Melody within, does he become capable of seeing and hearing Him.


  4. All Saints assert that God can be realised only while we are in human form. Neither animals nor angels, nor the denizens of the astral world enjoy this privilege.
  5. Saints point out that, within the body too, He is to be sought above the eyes and not below them. Those who concentrate at any one of the lower centers such as the Mul Chakra (Rectal Center), the Indri Chakra (Center of Procreation, Nabhi Chakra (Navel Center), Hirday Chakra (Heart Center), or Kanth Chakra (Throat Center), merely see the shadow. [These are known as the five lower chakras]

This is similar to beholding the reflection against a wall, of the sun's reflection in water, while the real sun itself shines above in the sky. Only one who has seen the real 'sun' above can testify that the reflection is that of the sun, and that it is merely the image and not the sun itself. Thus, only those who have seen the Lord within can realise that it is the shadow or reflection that pervades the lower centers and, in fact, the entire cosmos.

How to go within

Now, the question arises, as to how to "go within"?. How to enter the Palace of the Ten Gates in which the soul dwells, and through which gate to go in ? The answer is quite simple. Try and find someone who knows the secret of the "house", who has himself been inside it and can take you "within" ..... before starting on our Spiritual Journey within, we have to seek the help of a Perfect Guide. Call Him Guru, Master, Friend, Teacher, Guide or Brother; the name makes no difference.

In his usual forceful way, Guru Nanak says: "Let no one be deceived. None will cross the Ocean of the universe without a True Master, a Perfect Guide."

Now the Path of the Saints is both simple and easy. From a child to an old man, irrespective of caste, creed, color, and clime, all can easily follow the prescribed Spiritual Exercises. One is neither to change one's religion or mode of living, nor renounce the world and give up one's profession or business. Saints say: "Live in the world with your family, do all your duties, earn money honestly and spend it as you would a sacred trust, on your family and others who need your help. Live in the world but with a detached mind, all the while giving some time and thought to your most important duty of God-realisation."

Dadu says "Others speak only from hearsay. Saints see Him face to face."

The Path of the Saints is not that of the yoga of the breath or of the six chakras (meditation at the six lower centers). Saint do not waste the time of their disciples by starting them at the lowest centers of the body. Besides, what does one get there?


The first or lowest center, the Mul Chakra, is presided over by Ganesh. The second, the Indri Chakra, is governed by Brahma, the creator of the bodies. The third or Nabi Chakra is controlled by Vishnu, the nourisher or sustainer. The fourth, which is the Hirday or Heart Chakra, is ruled by Shiva, the destroyer. The fifth is the Kanth or Throat Chakra, presided over by the goddess Shakti, the source of the three gods Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. The sixth chakra, which is the highest stage ever reached by the yogis, is the "Tisra Til" or the "Third Eye", situated in the center behind our two eyes, and is the "Seat of our Soul and mind", the "Center of Consciousness" and the "Thinking Center". This is the center from where all our thoughts and energy go out. Our creator, the Lord, is above in the twelfth chakra. Thus we have to cross six more chakras above the seat of our soul, behind the eyes, to meet Him.

Would it be wise step for us to first descend to the lowest chakra and then to commence the long and arduous journey upward from that lowest rung of the ladder?

And what does one gain by starting at the lowest chakras? One meets only the deity or the power stationed at a particular chakra for the purpose of management of that particular function in the body (the microcosm). Moreover, this journey through the six chakras is so very difficult, hazardous and tedious that it is quite unsuited to the conditions of the present age. The "Dharma" (method to be adopted) of each Yuga or Age is different. In this KaliYuga you cannot successfully adopt the yogic methods that were in vogue in the Sat or Treta Yugas, when the life's span was longer and the struggle for existence negligible. The population was small and the land yielded all its requirements without much toil. Besides, men were strong, celibate and pure-minded. Would the young men of the modern age be able to carry through the hard exercises of the Pranayam, Dhoti, Neti, Vasti and the difficult Asanas and Mudras? Even if they could, what a long time it would require. And where would that take us in the end? At its best, no farther than the eye center. No, my friends, we are living in an age of automobiles and airplanes. We should not stick to the old methods or transportation.

The method of the Saints is Surat Shabd Yoga. The Sufi Saints called it "Sultan-al-Azkar" (The King of Methods). It is the "Anahad Marg" of the Upanishads. This is the most natural and harmless method. You are not to renounce the world or become a "Sanyasi", nor are you to change your mode of dress. It calls only for some time daily for carrying out meditation, while doing your other duties. It may be stressed that your primary duty is that of God-realisation while in human form.

The Satguru will give you the techniques at the time of Initiation. He will then tell you how to "go within" the Palace of the Ten Doors, through the eye center, by the withdrawing your attention from the nine outlets and concentrating it at the "Third Eye". Here the Heavenly Music resounds day and night. This melody comes direct from the feet of the Lord. By attaching yourself to It, in accordance with the instruction of the Master, you will reach the Place where It issues forth. This is the sum and substance of the Teachings of the Saints (Sant Mat). Only a fortunate few come in contact with a True Saint.

Surgeons who have dissected or operated on scores of bodies, have never found a Brahmand [Literally - the egg of Brahm; the entire universe over which Brahm has jurisdiction - Brahm: Lord of the second spiritual region; the Power that creates and dissolves the phenomenal world.] or a Sach Khand [Literally the True or Imperishable Region - Sat Lok] in any one of them. The answer is that they are not to be found by means of physicians' or scientists' instruments, nor can they be perceived by the gross physical senses. They are hidden behind the veil of the mind. Only when we become pure through spiritual practice and rend the veil of the mid in accordance with the instructions of a Master, can we realise the Lord. We have to dive deep into our own inner and real self, cross the intervening physical, astral, causal and pure spiritual regions, then reach the Highest Plane, the everlasting Sat Lok, to behold the Lord. Saints tell us the way and give us the technique which enables us to accomplish all this.

They teach us how to withdraw the mind and soul currents from the body, up to the eye center, by concentrating our attention at the eye center and contacting the Divine Melody, the Shabd, which is the Creator of all the regions of the worlds, within and without. It is called by various names. Since we can hear It, It has been termed "Shabd", "The Audible Life Stream", "The Sound Current". This is the "Word" or "Logos" of the Holy Bible In the Granth Sahib it is called "Shabd Dhun", "Nam". It is the "Khun" of the Quran, the "Nad" of the Vedas, and the "Anhad" of the Upanishads.

Guru Nanak says: "Word created the earth and sky. Word created all."

Swami Ji says: "Word created all the three worlds".

The Bible says: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The Same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made."


The writings of the Saints always extol the glory of the Word or of the Master. Both are the same in Essence.

To recapitulate

  1. Saints are those who have attained the highest stage and have become one with the Lord.
  2. Saints alone are truly humble.
  3. Their teachings are:
    1. The universe is not without a Creator, the Lord Supreme.
    2. The soul is in essence a drop from the Ocean of the Lord, but through long separation has completely forgotten its origin. This is the cause of all its misery and pain, which will end only when the drop again merges in the Ocean.
    3. God resides within and can be realized only in the human form.
    4. In the body, He is only to be sought above the eyes.
    5. None can realize God without the help of a perfect Adept.
  4. Saints prescribe Surat Shabd Yoga wherein the attention, after being withdrawn from the body and concentrated at the eye center, contacts the Divine Melody.
  5. They also enjoy, 'Live in the world but be not of the world'.
  6. Everything in the phenomenal world is unreal. He alone is Real and Everlasting. Go within, connect your consciousness with Nam [Name; the same as Shabd, Word or Logos; the Immortal Creator] and be liberated from the eternal wheel.