1. Radhasoami – the Holy Name
of the Supreme Being
1. The Radhasoami mat
or Faith derives its name from its original founder, the Supreme
Being, Radhasoami, who appeared in this world in human form
and designated Himself Sant Sat Guru or perfect Saint
or True Guide and Preceptor, and preached holy doctrines to
the sincere Enquirer of Truth for the deliverance of their
spirit from the bondage of body and surroundings, as well
as from the pains and pleasures of this world, and for the
ultimate admission (of their spirit entity) into the Holy
Presence of the Supreme Being after traversing and breaking
through the trammels and impediments in the material spheres.
2. The holy name Radhasoami
has been given out by the Supreme Being Himself. It resounds
in splendid refulgence in the higher spheres and can be heard
within themselves by those, who perform devotion by practicing
Surat-Shabd-Yog according to the instructions given
by the Supreme Being Himself.
3. All obstacles thrown
in the way and traps laid by Universal Mind and Matter
to stop or interfere with the progress of a pilgrim to the
highest mansion of the Supreme Being in pure spiritual regions
disappear at once on the pronunciation of name Radhasoami
by the devotee; such is the immediate effect and beneficial
influence exercised by this Almighty Name. It,
at once, strikes awe and terror in the heart of the conflicting
agents and revolting forces met with by the devotee while
traversing the material regions and gradually removes them
altogether from his path.
4. This holy name Radhasoami
signifies both the Supreme Being and the Original Spirit or
Sound Current (or Word), which emanated from His Holy Feet,
and which is the prime factor and principal agent in the whole
creation.
2.Three Factors in Creation
5. According to Radhasoami
Faith, there are three factors in the creation, of which the
the first and principal and the prime mover and life-giver is the Spirit, or Word or
Sound, the second or the main working factor is Mind and the third the Matter, of which
the body and senses (the instruments of action) are made.
The first principle or factor, namely Spirit is the prime cause of everything
and presides overall, and has its abode in the uppermost
regions above all and beyond the Mind (the second factor)
in the innermost part of the body.
The locality of the
Mind or the second factor is below that of the spirit or
the outside the innermost quarter, while the flesh or body
formed of matter, the third factor
occupies the outermost portion of the vehicle or human form
with senses attached thereto.
Accordingly there
are three degrees, and hence three grand divisions in the
Universe or Macrocosm with corresponding divisions in the
human body or the Microcosm.
6. The degrees or grand
divisions, comprised in the entire creation, according to
Radhasoami Faith are –
1. Spiritual
2. Spiritual-Material 3. Material-Spiritual
Pure spirit, uncontaminated
with matter, exists in the first grand division. Here the
Supreme Being reigns over absolutely spiritual life. This,
the purest possible form of life, has no desire but to love
and serve the Supreme Being. The joys – the very existence
– of this pure spirit – life are derived from the
Supreme Being who is the ocean of Spirit, love and joy. Nothing
concerning this degree is known or has been known to the founder
of any other religious creed. It comprises six sub-divisions
and is called the Dayal Desh or the regions of Mercy.
7. The second or Spiritual-Material
degree or grand division is entirely free from all worldly
passions and desires of the lower order. Likening the Supreme
Being to an ocean, the president of the second degree is a
tide from that ocean. He is a kind of Viceroy, who rules over
all life existing in the space comprised in the second and
third grand divisions committed to his care. As its name indicates,
the spiritual-material degree contains both spirit and matter.
But matter is comparatively speaking, pure and is subject
to, and controlled by spirit. Life here is very pure and though
clothed in pure material forms, spirit predominates. This
degree also comprises of six sub-divisions and is called the
Brahmand or the regions of Universal Mind and Pure
Matter.
8. In the third or
material-spiritual degree matter predominates over Spirit.
Life is composed of spirits clothed in coarse matter. Having
quite forgotten the higher abode from which they originally
sprang, the spirits here have acquired carnal desires and
passions. This also comprises six sub-divisions and is called
the Pind or the regions of Individual Mind and coarse
matter.
9. This degree is dominated
over by a wave emanating from the Supreme Being and flowing
through the tide which has already been likened to a Viceroy.
This wave or current may, for want of a better name, be called
a Governor, who presides over the material universe and controls
matter.
3. Our Solar System belongs to the
third degree
10. All solar systems, like
ours, are included in the third degree. Beyond all solar systems
in this plane, is the locality of the second degree; beyond
that locality again is the situation of first degree, the
residence of the Supreme Being.
4. Correspondence of Macrocosm with
Microcosm
11. The above
three grand divisions in the Universe have a correspondence,
or are in the same plane, with similar divisions in the human
form or body which is a miniature or Microcosm of the Great
Universe or Macrocosm.
5. The Supreme Being distinguished
from the Gods of other religions
12. The Supreme
Being as already said is unknown. The Spirit or the Viceroy,
who presides over the second degree, is the Lord God of the
Bible; he is Sat or Sachchidanand or Shuddh
Brahm of the Vedantees; the Nirvan of the
Jains and the Buddhists and the Lahut of
the Mohammedan Saints. The Spirit or Governor who rules over
the third degree is the Brahm or Parmatma or
God of most religions of the world.
6. The second and third degrees contain Spirit and Matter,
the former predominates in the second, and the latter in the
third degree
13. The entire creation
below the first degree is composed of two parts, namely, spirit
which is all good and pure, and matter which is always more
or less bad. Human being is a drop from the ocean, that is,
the Supreme Being. This drop of pure good spirit is so mixed
with matter that it becomes in bondage thereto, and unless
aided by a Supreme Spirit is always liable to yield to temptation
and deteriorates or sinks down in matter.
14. Thus all emanations
from the Supreme Being, though absolutely pure at the outset,
get less and less so, as they become more and more steeped
in the matter. In the second degree, this mixture or combination
is insufficient for it to triumph over spirit, but matter
predominates so largely over the spirit in the third degree
that the strength of the spirit is feeble and matter dominates.
7. Necessity of Matter in the second
and third degrees
15. Nevertheless, matter
is actually necessary for spirit life in the second and third
degrees. But for matter, the Supreme Being would be one huge
Ocean filling all space. Before the creation, spirits lay
at the foot of the Supreme Being in an unmanifested mass.
These spirits could have had no separate form, no individual
existence, except by an admixture of matter. Thus they could
have attained no knowledge of Supreme Being. As fire is necessary
to light an ignitable substance, so is the spirit required
to give life to matter. At the death of every creature the
liberated spirit entity merely changes its covering, or in
other words, takes up its abode in a like form or that of
some other creature.
8. The ascending and descending
scales in Creation
16. There are two streams
in our solar systems; the one ever improving, the other always
deteriorating. The spirit entities of the first of these streams
pass from the plants through the lower creation till they
reach human form; they then become angels or heavenly spirits
and ultimately merge into Supreme Being or remain in His presence.
Maintenance of individuality in the changes later than human
being depends upon the practice of devotion according to Surat-Shabd-Yog
or the union of the spirit entity with the Word – the
Word being the emanation from the Supreme Being. If such devotion
is not practiced, the spirit entity loses its previous individuality
and becomes merged into a lower stage fit for its reception.
A devotee, when merged into the Supreme Being, can assume
one’s individuality at pleasure. Such a being is called
a perfect Sant, a special and beloved Son of Supreme
Being. But the spirits who belong to the deteriorating stream
are wholly under the influence of matter. At every change
they get lower and lower until they reach the lowest form
in creation.
9. The Special and Beloved Sons
of the Supreme Being or Sants
17. The Supreme Being
has special and beloved sons called Sants and Param
Sants, who are full of mercy and love and who descend
periodically upon the earth to deliver spirits from the bondage
of matter and to carry them to the presence of the Supreme
Father.
10. One should look for a Sant
or Sadh to approach the Supreme Being
18. Any person desirous
of reaching the Supreme Being must search for a Sant Sat
Guru (Incarnation of the Supreme Being) or a Sadh Guru
(one who has reached the top of the second grand division)
and invoke His help, and receive instructions from one of
those Superior Guides, as to the manner of his devotion and
procedure.
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