In theology , divine light (also called divine radiance or divine refulgence ) is an aspect of divine presence perceived as light during a theophany or vision , or represented as such in allegory or metaphor .
25-451: Jyoti means " divine light " in many Indian languages. Jyoti and spelling variants may refer to: Divine light Light has always been associated with a religious and philosophical symbolic meaning, considered a source of not only physical but metaphysical illumination , as a metaphor for the revelation of a truth hidden in the shadows. The value of light often recurs in history of philosophy , especially Neoplatonic , in
50-482: A Father of Light who would conquer the demons of darkness and remake the earth through shards of light found in human souls. Manichaeism also co-opted other religions, including Buddhist teachings in its scripture and worshiping Jesus the Luminous who was crucified on a cross of pure light. Among the many followers of Manichaeism was the young Augustine , who later wrote, "I thought that you, Lord God and Truth, were like
75-454: A luminous body of immense size, and myself a bit of that body." When he converted to Christianity in 386 CE, Augustine denounced Manichaeism. By then, Manichaeism had been supplanted by ascendant Christianity. Manichaeism's legacy is the word Manichaean—relating to a dualistic view of the world, dividing things into either good or evil, light or dark, black or white. In On the Mysteries of
100-575: A revelation: "Quakers need to be open to 'a new light', i.e. continuing revelation". Friends often focus on feeling the presence of God. As Isaac Penington wrote in 1670, "It is not enough to hear of Christ, or read of Christ, but this is the thing – to feel him to be my root, my life, and my foundation..." Quakers reject the idea of priests , believing in the priesthood of all believers . Some express their concept of God using phrases such as "the inner light", "inward light of Christ", or "Holy Spirit". A core belief of Quakers is, "all can be saved, through
125-476: A specific religious tradition, although they acknowledged a common spiritual root. The poet-sants expressed their teaching in vernacular verse, addressing themselves to the common folk in oral style in Hindi and other dialects and other languages such as Marathi , Gujarati and Punjabi . They referred to the "Divine Name" as having saving power, and dismissed the religious rituals as having no value. They presented
150-613: Is Baba Gurinder Singh and Radhasoami Satsang Dayalbagh (Agra), situated on the banks of the river Yamuna, whose current Living Master is Param Guru Prof. Prem Saran Satsangi Sahab . According to Mark Juergensmeyer , that claim is also made by the Kabir-panthis , the Satpanthis , the Sikhs and other movements that continue to find the insights from the Sant tradition valid today. Prem Rawat and
175-478: Is not to be confused with the 19th-century Radha Soami , also known as contemporary " Sant Mat movement ". The lineage of sants can be divided into two main groups: a northern group from the provinces of Punjab , Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh , who expressed themselves mainly in vernacular Hindi; and a southern group, whose language is Marathi , represented by Namdev and other sants of Maharashtra . The expression Sant Mat literally means "Teachings of
200-486: Is properly assigned to the poet-sants of medieval India. The Sant Mat movement was heterogeneous , and consisted mostly of the sants own socio-religious attitudes, which were based on bhakti (devotion) as described in the Bhagavad Gita . Sharing as few conventions with each other as with the followers of the traditions they challenged, the sants appear more as a diverse collection of spiritual personalities than
225-516: Is told differently by his lineage of "Ramanandi" monks, by other sants preceding him, and later by the Sikhs . Sant Mat practitioners accept that Ramananda's students formed the first generation of sants . Sants developed a culture of concern for marginalized in the society. Some of the more notable sants include Namdev (d. 1350), Kabir (d. 1518), Nanak (d. 1539), Mira Bai (d. 1545), Surdas (d. 1573), Dadu Dayal (d. 1603), Tulsidas (d. 1623), and Tukaram (d. 1650). The tradition of
250-540: The Divine Light Mission ( Elan Vital ) are considered to be part of the Sant Mat tradition by J. Gordon Melton , Lucy DuPertuis, and Vishal Mangalwadi , but that characterization is disputed by Ron Geaves . The 20th century religious movement Eckankar is also considered by David C. Lane to be an offshoot of the Sant Mat tradition. James R. Lewis refers to these movements as "expressions of an older faith in
275-847: The light of the world ", bringing the Divine Light to mankind. The Tabor Light , also called the Uncreated Light, was revealed to the three apostles present at the Transfiguration . Quakers , known formally as the Religious Society of Friends , are generally united by a belief in each human's ability to experience the light within or see "that of God in every one". Most Quakers believe in continuing revelation : that God continuously reveals truth directly to individuals. George Fox said, "Christ has come to teach His people Himself." Veronika Koller explains liberal Quakers also see light as
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#1732901777540300-419: The sants ( sant parampara ) remained non-sectarian, although a number of sant poets have been considered as the founders of sects. Some of these may bear the sant's name, but were developed after them by later followers such as Kabir Panth , Dadu Panth , Dariya Panth, Advait Mat , Science of Spirituality and Radhasoami . Only a small minority of religious Hindus have formally followed Sant Mat, but
325-491: 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, they are mostly ascetics except few householders. Sant Mat
350-698: The Egyptians, Chaldeans, and Assyrians , Iamblichus refers to the divine light as the manifestation of the gods by which divination , theurgy , and other forms of ritual are accomplished. Light is a core concept in Iranian mysticism. The root of this thought lies in Zoroastrian beliefs, which define the supreme God, Ahura Mazda , as the source of light. This essential attribute is manifested in various schools of thought in Persian mysticism and philosophy. Later, this notion
375-577: The Saints" – the "Path of Sants (Saints)", "Path of Truth", "Right or Positive Path". As "point of view of the Sants", the term Sant is pivotal. Derived from the Sanskrit sat ( सत ) and has overlapping usages (true, real, honest, right). Its root meaning is "one who knows(is) the truth" or "one who has experienced (merged into) Ultimate Reality." The term sant has taken on the general meaning of "a good person" but
400-469: The book of 1 John 1:5, it says "God is light" which means that God is part of the system that provides light to the whole universe. God created light, Genesis 1:3 and is light. Bible commentators such as John W. Ritenbaugh see the presence of light as a metaphor of truth , good and evil , knowledge , and ignorance . In the first Chapter of the Bible, Elohim is described as creating light by fiat and seeing
425-512: The course of which it is understood both as a structural component of every being, including physical ones, and as a metaphor of spiritual light. The term "light" has been widely used in spirituality and religion, such as: Buddhist scripture speaks of numerous Buddhas of light, including a Buddha of Boundless Light, a Buddha of Unimpeded Light, and the Buddhas of Unopposed Light, of Pure Light, of Incomparable Light, and of Unceasing Light. In
450-499: The dawn and its goddess, Ushas. In the terminology of Sant Mat , light and sound are the two main expressions of God . Manichaeism , the most widespread Western religion prior to Christianity, was based on the belief that God was, literally, light. From about 250-350 CE, devout Manichaeans followed the teachings of self-proclaimed prophet Mani . Mani's faithful, who could be found from Greece to China, believed in warring kingdoms of Light and Darkness, in "beings of light," and in
475-622: The direct relationship established by God in Christ with ‘every [person] that cometh into the world [...]’ ". Quakers first gathered around George Fox in the mid-17th century and belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations . In Hinduism , Diwali —the festival of lights—is a celebration of the victory of light over darkness. A mantra in Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad (1.3.28) urges to God: "from darkness, lead us unto light". The Rig Veda includes nearly two dozen hymns to
500-464: The idea that true religion was a matter of surrendering to God "who dwells in the heart". The first generation of north Indian sants , (which included Kabir and Ravidas ), appeared in the region of Benares in the mid–15th century. Preceding them were two notable 13th and 14th century figures, Namdev and Ramananda . The latter, according to Sant Mat tradition, was a Vaishnava ascetic who initiated Kabir, Ravidas, and other sants. Ramanand's story
525-506: The light to be good. In the Eastern Orthodox tradition, the Divine Light illuminates the intellect of man through " theoria " or contemplation . In the Gospel of John , the opening verses describe God as Light: "In Him was life and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not comprehend it." (John 1:5) In John 8:12, Christ proclaims "I am
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#1732901777540550-482: The poet-sants of Sant Mat. The Radha Soami movement in North India, also known as " Sant Mat movement ", is regarded as a repository of the tradition of the Sants and their teachings, as well as their approach to religious endeavours, and presents itself as a living incarnation of the Sant tradition. The most notable being Radhasoami Satsang Beas , situated on the banks of the river Beas, whose current Living Master
575-471: The religious teachings of the sants , which he describes as liberating. The Sant Mat tradition teaches the necessity of a living human master, who is referred to with honorific titles such as satguru , or perfect master. Classical Gnostics , medieval Sufi poets such as Shams Tabrizi , Jalal al-Din Muhammad Rumi or Hafez , as well as Sindhi poets, are considered to have many similarities with
600-539: The tradition has considerably influenced Hindus across sects and castes. Bhajans (devotional songs) attributed to past sants such as Mira Bai are widely listened to in India and in Hindu communities around the world. The sant tradition is the only one in medieval and modern India that has successfully crossed some barriers between Hindu and Muslim faiths. Julius J. Lipner asserts that the lives of many Hindus have been leavened by
625-567: Was dispersed across the entire Middle East , shaping the paradigms of religions and philosophies emerging in the region. After the Arab invasion , this concept was incorporated into Islamic teachings by Iranian thinkers, the most famous of them being Shahab al-Din Suhrawardi , the founder of the illumination philosophy . Sant Mat Sant Mat was a spiritual movement on the Indian subcontinent during
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