Amazing changes in Radha Soami Satsang Beas teachings

Imagine the Pope saying, "Jesus wasn't really the Son of God. There isn't any heaven. God is just a state of consciousness. No one divine will meet you when you die."

It'd be more than a little shocking, to put it mildly. The head of a religion almost always defends the faith, preserving the core of traditional dogma while merely making small changes in other aspects of the teachings.

But reports keep coming in that the guru of Radha Soami Satsang Beas (RSSB), an India-based mystical/spiritual organization with millions of initiates in many countries around the world, has been undermining some of the group's central tenets in his English talks.

(Read my "Has Gurinder Singh revised Sant Mat to v. 3.0" for the new version of the teachings, including the comments to that post -- which have been interesting and informative.)

Since I was an active member of RSSB for about thirty-five years, I find this transformation of what supposedly was a "science of the soul" to be fascinating.

After all, each Radha Soami Satsang Beas guru supposedly was a Perfect Living Master who had attained God-realization. When a guru appointed his successor, it was assumed that the new RSSB leader was the same universal spirit in a different body.

Apparently not.

Because the current guru, Gurinder Singh, now is saying that God, heaven, and the savior (using Christian terms) are fictions. This message isn't just tinkering with peripheral points of the RSSB philosophy; it blows up the foundation of Radha Soami Satsang Beas' reason for being.

Namely, the assumption that initiation by a guru who is GIHF (God in Human Form) is the only way to return to God, thereby escaping an endless round of karma-powered births and rebirths. This is accomplished by diligent following of "four vows," notably including a strict vegetarian diet and meditating 2 1/2 hours a day.

The guru then will take the disciple under his wing and escort him/her through spiritual regions of reality back to the highest heaven. The promise has always been that this would take no more than four lifetimes, and almost always the guru would meet devoted initiates at the time of death, guiding them in the right direction.

Again, apparently not.

This is Big News in the Radha Soami Satsang Beas world. Except the guru doesn't allow his talks to be recorded, and he never writes anything, so the news is only slowly trickling out to RSSB disciples.

Many of whom must be thinking, What the fuck?! I put in years or decades of devoted spiritual practice under the guidance of the guru, and now I'm being told that the teachings aren't true.

Well, change happens. Join the real world. The only certainty when it comes to God and all things religious is that there's nothing to be certain about.

Comments

[Ram Singh Rawat]

I do not know why you are wasting your lots of time to speak against Radha Soami Satasang Beas. It is very personal for everybody to associate one with a certain philosophy or teaching. If there is something wrong, people will automatically disassociate from it. Why are you laboring so much? I don't understand.

[Jen]

Really enjoyed reading through this thread again.

A couple of comments really struck home:

"... If you want to see the Guru, sit in the front. If you want the Guru to see you, sit in the back."

"... this blog site is working hard to see the Guru."

Going back in time to how I was and what I felt and believed in when I was initiated 47 years ago. At first such a simplistic, emotional faith. Feeling high and so very lucky to be a chosen one. Then over the years the understanding of, not good, this feeling of being special. Disillusionment.

So then a gradual adjustment, letting go, emptying out of all I had learned. Chucked out most of the RSSB books. Not going to satsang.

Left feeling very empty and lost. Not belonging anywhere except with family members.

And now lately feeling that strong pull again. Being noticed sitting at the back?

How to deal with being different? Trying to fit in or understood by others. I Like this answer from BJ:

"... why do you have to bring your level down?"

Not ego this time. Keeping level of consciousness balanced. Constant vigilance.

[777]

At our age : no sense to develop our ego more yet
That s a difference

Then the 5 words work more smoothly
Fine that you are at ease

Waiting for Brian because RSSB : it's all true Kabir's Quantum theory

777

[Ray Panigutti]

Hi Brian,
I check in on your site now and again. Very interesting. I cannot remember if I met you years back in India at the dera, I think I did, but could be wrong.
I was initiated in 1972 and continue to go to dera every year since 1990 and many years prior to that going back to 1976. I also have had a passion for the last 44 years for other teachings, Advaita, yogic philosophy and Buddhism. I have been to countless evening meetings with Baba ji, It seems to me that all these RS Beas changes in the teachings that are mentioned, are interpretations of what was said. I learned a long time ago, with 450-500 people in the evening meeting, there are multiple different versions of what was said. I have observed this over and over.
I have not seen the teachings really changed. What I see are interpretations. This is just my opinion, of course.

[Anonymous]

For the Record -

Rampal, who was mentioned in the comments, is still in Jail.

"Around 100 accused, including Rampal (above), are still behind bars."
http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chandigarh/sant-rampal-jail-arrest-followers-release-bail-punjab-and-haryana-high-court-punjab-2956827/

"Rampal was arrested on the night of November 19, 2014, along with 492 of his followers, on charges including sedition, murder, attempt to murder, conspiracy, hoarding illegal weapons and aiding and abetting suicide-mongers.[32][33]"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rampal

[geoff thompson]

unless you have had an inner experience during meditation , when trying to follow the masters instructions, you will always have moments of doubt. also if the living master showers you with spiritual grace , then you will know that everything the master has told you is real and true. it is absolutely wonderful and beautiful .the destination is pure ,divine love ,which never ends, eternity. it is beyond ecstacy. on this planet , ruled by the mind,nothing remains the same with the passage of time.the human body has been created in a wonderful way, you can enter into the other dimentions, and having been initiated by a real spiritual master, you are protected. how do I know this/// because the master ,maharaj charan singh ji allowed me to experience this. but, of course, you still have all the worldly baggage trying to pull you down. regards.

[777]

-

geoff thompson

So Nice to say this on the "All Saints" day Nov, 1st
If the catholics could only know why this community is important
Real Saints are literally the Gate to Heaven

777

PS
Even with real inner flabbergasting experiences the mind, later on tries to diminish it
The only stable objective events are material serendipities°°
as Nous recently confirmed

°° Impossibilities , which happen anyway, the are astounding

-

[777]

ps
°° because ofthe impossibility aspect
my personal explanation is that the Saint
just dreate the whole universe anew
just for the sake &faith of one Lover

ps2
heard today that the observable matter of the universe now is estimated
at 4% , . . was before 15% vs dark matter & energy

Just wait until scientists conclude it is a Zillionth of that
like in these fairy tales where a Fee hold it in Her hand
Hence : how easy for a Master to change it at any moment

-

[Daljeet Singh]

Why don’t you guys read about Sikhism. Not the one taught by yogi bhajan but the real one as ordained in our Guru Granth Sahib.

A translated line ‘these mediators will never make you meet god, only you yourself can by your actions and devotion.