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27-463: 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

54-534: A mahant . A Kabirpanthi mahant is adorned in special garbs, such as a conical cap, a necklace known as a kanthi , a rosary of tulsi (sweet basal), and clothing that is white or brownish-red in colour. Mahants may have a tilak (frontal mark) of the Vaishnavite tradition. The frontal mark may also be a streak along the ridge of their nose using sandal or gopichandan paste. Mahants are not obliged to remain celibate and some marry. Kabir Panthis can follow

81-633: A maṭh ) dedicated to preaching his teachings. These centres, of them being two in number, would form the two main subdivisions or factions of Kabir Panth. Surat Gopal first founded the Kabir Chaura maṭh (also known as bāp meaning "father") in Varanasi . It conducted missionary activities in Gujarat , Uttar Pradesh , and Bihar and had a branch located at Magahar. After the founding of Kabir Chaura by disciple Surat Gopal, Dharamdas would slightly later found

108-400: A more relaxed spiritual life are Grihasta Sadhus . Similarly, women who have chosen to be Nuns are called Sadhvis . God is called by an infinite array of names but some of the more common names are "Satya Purush", "Soham Sadguru", "Adi Guru Param Satyeshwar", or simply "Sadguru Kabir Saheb". During their religious ceremonies Kabir Panthis sing the songs, bhajan s and Sakhi s of Kabir to

135-767: A new context". Kabir Panth Traditional Kabir Panth ( transl.  Path of Kabir ) is a Sant Mat denomination and philosophy based on the teachings of the 15th century saint and poet, Kabir . It is based on devotion to him as one guru as a means to salvation. The adherents of Kabir Panth are from many religious backgrounds as Kabir never advocated change of religions but highlighted their limitations. According to some scholars, this tradition belong to Hindu denomination of Vaishnavism with universalist leanings. In respect of Kabir, his followers celebrate Kabir Jayanti . Kabir did not find any distinct sect in his own lifetime but two of his disciples, Surat Gopal and Dharamdas , would later found centres (known as

162-575: A southern group, whose language is Marathi , represented by Namdev and other sants of Maharashtra . The expression Sant Mat literally means "Teachings of 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

189-613: 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

216-523: 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 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

243-405: Is called a Bhakta and priests are addressed with the honorific title of Mahant . Spiritual leaders are called Acharya or Guru . Monks who are more ascetic in nature, who do not marry and engage in more severe spiritual pursuits while never living in one place, constantly moving from monastery to monastery are called Brahmachari Sadhus, whereas those monks who do marry, have children and live

270-568: Is needed for sustenance. Kabir Panthis are strictly vegetarian and avoid the use of alcohol, tobacco, and narcotics. Separate organizations have formed over the years. One of the largest groups of Kabir Panthis outside India is in Trinidad and Tobago . Several smaller active groups exist outside of India as well, especially in Canada , Fiji , Guyana , Mauritius , Nepal , the Netherlands , Suriname , and

297-540: 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

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324-543: The United States . The Kabir Panth Association in Trinidad and Tobago operates two primary schools and was one of the first non-Christian religious denominational schools founded in the region. Recently, other groups have been formed in Trinidad and Tobago [like Kabir Chaura Math, Satya Kabir Nidhi], each with their own emphasis on the teachings of Kabir and with their own affiliations in Trinidad and Tobago, India and elsewhere in

351-419: 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

378-487: The "Divine Name" as having saving power, and dismissed the religious rituals as having no value. They presented 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,

405-574: The Dham Khera (Damakheda) maṭh (also known as māī meaning "mother) located in modern-day Chhattisgarh . It conducted missionary activities in central India and had branches located in Raipur, Bilaspur, and Chindawara. Adherents must disavow polytheism, reject the consumption of alcohol, bathe daily whilst praising God, maintain a strict vegetarian diet. They should allow those who sin against them up to three chances of forgiveness. Kabirpanthis greet with

432-668: The Kabir Panth is given in the form of a Kanthi Mala . It is a necklace made from the sacred Tulsi wood beads , sacred to Vishnu . It is also made out of the holy Rudraksha stone beads, sacred to Shiva . It can also be made using a string with just one large Tulsi or Rudraksha bead. It is worn by choice and is typically given to one who has committed to avoiding lust, anger, greed, attachment to perishable things, and ego. Sahaja Yoga involves remembering God by repeating Satyanaam . Kabir Panthis believe in simplicity of life; simple food, clothing and belongings. One should only acquire what

459-565: 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. This spirituality-related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Sant Mat 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

486-644: The ethical and social customs of the day according to tradition without hindrance. Lay persons can be cremated according to Hindu law and priests can be buried or cremated depending upon which tradition one wishes to follow. In the Caribbean and across North America , Kabir Panthis may opt for burning or burial. Kabir Panthis observe sanctity and purity in their daily lives and behavior. The foundation of their belief and practice are These basic set of guidelines gives Kabir Panthis an all-encompassing formula for Love, Humility, Compassion and Unity. A Kabir Panthi lay person

513-492: The followers of the traditions they challenged, the sants appear more as a diverse collection of spiritual personalities than 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

540-429: The music of cymbals, drums and other Indian instruments. The Guru recites various prayers and Mantras , all of which remind devotees to remember God in all that they do. One's mind and body must be kept pure by contemplation and avoiding gross and complicated behaviour. Such practice will allow one to attain salvation while living no matter what ones religion or other personal endeavour may be. A mark of initiation into

567-465: The phrase Bandagī (meaning "salutation to you"). Furthermore, followers are instructed to avoid the company of women whom are ill-natured, never disavow their wife from their property, never speak a lie, never steal, never give a false testimony against another person, and never negatively gossip about others. Hindu Kabirpanthis recite the name Raam whilst Muslim Kabirpanthis use the name Khuda as an appellation for God. Lay Kabirpanthis are led by

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594-482: 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

621-471: 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

648-463: The religious. The Bijak includes three main sections (called Ramainī, Shabda and Sākhī ) and a fourth section containing miscellaneous folksongs. Most of Kabir's material has been popularized through the song form known as Shabda (or pada) and through the aphoristic two-line sākhī (or doha) that serves throughout north India as a vehicle for popular wisdom. In the Anurag Sagar, the story of creation

675-539: 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

702-513: The world. The most sacred books of the Kabir Panth sect are the Anurag Sagar and Bijak , many passages from which are presented in the Guru Granth Sahib and the Anurag Sagar. In a blunt and uncompromising style, the Bijak exhorts its readers to shed their delusions, pretensions, and orthodoxies in favor of a direct experience of truth. It satirizes hypocrisy, greed, and violence, especially among

729-606: Was a Vaishnava ascetic who initiated Kabir, Ravidas, and other sants. Ramanand's story 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

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