Living Master is a term which distinguishes a living spiritual teacher from one who has already left his physical form (i.e., died). Certain esoteric spiritual movements, notably Sant Mat and Surat Shabd Yoga, consider a living spiritual adept to be essential, and critique the world religions as mere shells where a living master (who founded the religious movement) has been replaced with a scripture, statue, effigy, or other symbol. Just as an example of the current usage, Sant Baljit Singh is described by his disciples as a Living Master, while Jesus Christ or the Buddha are examples of past Masters or Masters out of date as per Sant Mat.
Eckankar is a new religious movement founded by Paul Twitchell in 1965. Its membership today is primarily in North America, Europe, Asia and Africa. The spiritual home is the Temple of ECK in Chanhassen, Minnesota. Eckankar is not affiliated with any other religious group.
Simran, in spirituality, is a Sanskrit word referring to the continuous remembrance of the finest aspect of the self, and/or the continuous remembrance of God. This state is maintained continuously while carrying out the worldly works outside.
Kirpal Singh was a spiritual master (satguru) in the tradition of Radha Soami.
Contemporary Sant Mat Movements, mostly among the Radha Soami tradition, are esoteric philosophy movements active in the United States, Europe, Australia, Latin America, and especially India. These movements assert that Sant Mat shares a lineage with Sikhism and contains elements of thought found in Hinduism, such as karma and reincarnation. They further assert that Sant Mat also contains elements found in Sufism and has inspired and influenced a number of religious groups and organizations. They refer to this spiritual path as the "Science of the Soul" or ‘Sant Mat’, meaning ‘teachings of the saints’. More recently it has been described as "The Way of Life" or "Living the Life of Soul." It incorporates a practical yoga system known as Surat Shabd Yoga.
Surat Shabd Simran is a type of spiritual meditation in the Sant Mat tradition.
Harbhajan Singh Khalsa, popularly known as Yogi Bhajan, and also Siri Singh Sahib to his followers, was an Indian-born American entrepreneur, yoga guru, and spiritual teacher. He introduced his version of Kundalini Yoga to the United States. He was the spiritual director of the 3HO Foundation, with over 300 centers in 35 countries.
A sant is a human being revered as a "truth-exemplar" for their abnormal of "self, truth, [and] reality" in Indic religions, particularly Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, and Buddhism. In Sikhism it is used to describe a being who has attained spiritual enlightenment and divine knowledge and power through union with God.
Radha Soami is a spiritual tradition or faith founded by Shiv Dayal Singh in 1861 on Basant Panchami Day in Agra, India.
Thakar Singh was a spiritual teacher in the contemporary Sant Mat lineage of Sikh religious leaders.
Sawan Singh, also known as The Great Master or Bade Maharaj ji, was an Indian Saint or Sant. He was the second spiritual head of Radha Soami Satsang Beas (RSSB) from the death of Jaimal Singh in 1903 until his own death on 2 April 1948.
Sant Mat was a spiritual movement on the Indian subcontinent during the 13th–17th centuries CE. The name literally means "teachings of sants", i.e. mystic Hindu saints. Through association and seeking truth by following sants and their teachings, a movement was formed. Theologically, the teachings are distinguished by inward, loving devotion by the individual soul (atma) to the Divine Principal God (Parmatma). Socially, its egalitarianism distinguishes it from the caste system, and from Hindus and Muslims. Sant Mat is not to be confused with the 19th-century Radha Soami, also known as contemporary "Sant Mat movement".
Julian P. Johnson (1867–1939) was an American surgeon and author of several books on Eastern spirituality. He spent much of 1932 to 1939 in India, was associated with the Radha Soami Satsang Beas movement and Surat Shabd Yoga, and wrote five books as a result of his experiences.
Hazur Maharaj Charan Singh Ji (1916–1990), was the spiritual head of Radha Soami Satsang Beas, Dera Baba Jaimal Singh, after he was named successor by the preceding Beas guru Sardar Bahadur Maharaj Jagat Singh Ji, in 1951. Maharaj Charan Singh served as the guru for the Beas Dera for almost four decades, until his death from heart failure in 1990 at the age of 73. Before his appointment in 1951, he had practiced law in Hisar and Sirsa, India. He was an initiate of Maharaj Sawan Singh's, who was his paternal grandfather and the predecessor of Maharaj Jagat Singh. Maharaj Charan Singh assigned the duties of his successor and Guru to his initiate and nephew Baba Gurinder Singh.
Rajinder Singh is the head of the international non-profit organization Science of Spirituality (SOS), known in India as the Sawan Kirpal Ruhani Mission. To his disciples he is known as Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj. Singh is internationally recognized for his work toward promoting inner and outer peace through spirituality and meditation on the inner Light and Sound.
Jaimal Singh (1839–1903) was an Indian spiritual leader. He became an initiate of Shiv Dayal Singh. After his initiation, Jaimal Singh served in the British Indian Army as a sepoy (private) from the age of seventeen and attained the rank of havildar (sergeant). After retirement, he settled in a desolate and isolated spot outside the town of Beas and began to spread the teaching of his guru Shiv Dayal Singh. The place grew into a colony which came to be called the "Dera Baba Jaimal Singh", and which is now the world centre of the Radha Soami Satsang Beas organisation.
Ajaib Singh, also known to his disciples as 'Sant Ji' was born on September 11, 1926, in Maina (Mehna), Bhatinda district, Punjab, India.
Sirio Carrapa is an Italian teacher and practitioner of mysticism and Surat Shabd Yoga in the Sant Mat tradition. He was a disciple of Kirpal Singh and Ajaib Singh, and he is acknowledged as a spiritual Master, carrying on the work of his Masters.
This is a list of gurus who gave teachings about the Path of Sound.
Darshan Singh (1921–1989), also known as Sant Darshan Singh Ji Maharaj, was the founder and head of Sawan Kirpal Ruhani Mission / Science of Spirituality from 1974 until his passing in 1989. The spiritual successor of Kirpal Singh, Singh was also widely recognized as one of India's leading poet-saints, writing in the Urdu language. Upon his sudden passing on 30 May 1989, he was succeeded by Rajinder Singh.
Sawan Kirpal Ruhani Mission is a non-profit, spiritual organization.