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[Naam Simran Shabad]

By Kabir Sahib

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[Naam Simran Shabad]

I have often observed that whatever is to be found is inside the body.
Just as one would open up the various parts of a gun and then assemble
them after cleaning them, similarly Kabir Sahib has explained in
detail what he has seen inside the body.

He says:
"I am going to tell you what the Lord has placed inside the body. This
body of ours is a palace in which the soul is like a beloved wife and
the Lord is the husband. They have been together in this house for
ages but have never met."

Kabir has also said that the Lord is inside this body and our efforts
are to be directed towards meeting Him.

If you want to meet Him, you have to purify your heart. First of all,
we have to get rid of lust. Lust and Nam cannot exist together.
Wherever there is lust, Nam is absent. Nam takes us above, to the
higher inner regions, while lust has a tendency to drag us down. To
desire another woman besides your own wife is lust. The same is true
of a woman. That is, to desire another man besides her own husband, is
lust. You have also to give up anger because in anger the spirit gets
scattered. Egotism arrests your inner progress. Then comes greed.
However good a person may be, if he is greedy, the world hates him.
Kabir further states that we should give up attachment to worldly
things and persons, and also egotism and vanity.

We have to replace lust by continence, anger by forgiveness, greed by
contentment, attachment by detachment, and egotism by humility. But
this happens only when we meet a perfect Adept and follow his
directions to turn God-wards and become a living power, reborn and
exalted. Then, the five evils slink away, yielding place to the five
virtues. We also have to abstain from taking flesh food and alcoholic
drinks, and get rid of all that is false and unreal.

The animal diet involves us into a heavier karmic debt besides making
the spirit too coarse to remain spiritually sensitive. It drags a
person down towards the animal plane. It is unavoidable that we should
become like what we eat, just as we acquire the attributes of which we
constantly think. The intoxicating drinks confound the intellect,
vitiate judgment and almost destroy discrimination. Both body and mind
suffer. It is only after we shun them that we can ride the horse of
knowledge and get rid of all illusion. This we can do only when our
inner self is illumined.

The body is divided into four regions. These are the Pind or Pinda,
the physical or material body; the And or Anda, the lowest part of
Brahmand, the spiritual-material region; Brahmand, the spiritual-
material region, which is mostly spiritual but mixed with a certain
amount of refined matter; and Sach Khand, which is absolutely pure
spirit, the highest and only perfectly pure region. Sach Khand is also
the only permanent region.

Visualize the sun of Spirituality, refulgent in Brahmand. Just as the
sun and the sky are reflected in water (Anda) and from the water onto
a wall (Pind), we find that the sun's reflection in the water has lost
its warmth but not its form. When it is reflected from the water onto
the wall, or into the physical body, it has lost both its warmth and
its form. It is clear, therefore, that we can normally experience and
enjoy very little of the radiance and beauty of Spirit in the physical
body.

"The worlds are a mere reflection
Of the eternal who is self-sprung."
(Guru Arjan)

There are six chakras or centres of spiritual energy in Brahmand, and
these are reflected in six corresponding centres in the Anda region of
the body. The six centres in Anda are reflected in corresponding
centres of Pind, the physical body. The Pind centres are below the eye
centre in the body. From there up to Sahansdal Kanwal is Anda, and
above Sahansdal Kanwal is Brahmand.

When we are awake, the headquarters of the spirit is in the eye
centre, behind the space between the two eyes. In dream the spirit is
in the throat centre. In Sushupati (deep slumber) it is in the navel
centre. We have to go up. We are right in the middle of a hill. There
is no point in descending first and then going up again. That would be
a mistake.

The Saints say, "Let us start ascending from the eye centre." The
yogis have paid no heed to this and they start their course of
meditation with the lowest body centre and thus waste their lives.
They remain in the lower chakras. It is in these lower chakras that
one finds the gods and goddesses. Kabir has described these stages in
order to meet the objections of the yogis and to disprove the
allegation that the Saints know nothing about the system of the body's
chakras. The path of the Saints starts with the eye centre.

The yogis begin by sitting in padam asan, which consists in putting
the right foot on the left thigh and the left foot on the right thigh.
The next step is Dhoti. A three-finger wide piece of muslin cloth,
several yards long, is dipped in water and is swallowed with a view to
cleansing the alimentary canal. This is repeated a number of times.
Then comes Basti, which consists in drawing up a quantity of water
inside through the rectum, keeping it there for a short while, and
then expelling it forcibly to wash the lower part of intestines and
bowels. Then follows Neti, For this, a silken string is stiffened with
wax. It is then passed into one nostril and taken out through the
other. The object is to clean the nasal passage. After all this is
completed, they start with Pranayam. Pranayam consists of three parts:
(1) Purak, which is the taking in of air; (2) Kumback, or holding the
breath, and (3) Rechak, or expelling the air. This is done according
to a certain rhythm or length of time. Then the yogis increase the
time until they have attained the ability to hold the breath for a
long time.

It is only after accomplishing all this that they start their
meditation practice by concentrating on the lowest chakra, which is
the anal or rectal centre. The Mohammedans call it Adam. Man is like
an inverted tree; its root, so to speak, is in the brain, wherefrom
comes all energy that sustains the lower centres. The farther a centre
from the brain, the less is its power. Each centre supports the next
lower. The repetition at the anal centre is "Kilyng, Kilyng". Some
yogis repeat it fifty thousand times, some a million times, and some
two million times. The object is to concentrate at this centre, which
is in the form of a four-petalled lotus. It is presided over by the
god Ganesh, and the miraculous powers wait upon him. He is supposed to
be the lowest deity.
Most of the people do not practise even this much and, what is
strangest of all, they make an image or idol of this deity and worship
it. Had they gone inside through Pranayam, they would have gotten
something. What they worship as image is utterly futile. It is just
like placing the photograph of a judge in a court. The photograph can
neither pass judgments nor decide cases. Or it is like the statue of a
commanding officer, which cannot act and give orders like a living
general. If a person should go in and realize even this lowest centre,
he would make his will power strong, and this could be of value in his
worldly pursuits. But people who merely worship the idols get
absolutely nothing.

After crossing the lowest centre, the yogis come to the genital
centre. This is the six-petalled lotus. Brahma, the first of the Hindu
Triad of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva—the Creator, the Preserver and the
Destroyer—is the presiding deity here. The Ganesh centre represents
the earth element or tattva, whereas the genital centre represents the
water element. The Mohammedans call this centre Makail, the creator of
the world. Here there is an energy called Kundalini. By their
concentration the yogis rouse this power and move it up into the
spinal cord. While crossing this genital centre they repeat the word
"Om".

The next higher chakra is the naval centre, which is the eight-
petalled lotus. The presiding deity is Vishnu, whom the Mohammedans
call Asrafil. The colour is white. The god of this centre is the world
sustainer. The Hindus worship this god, while the Muslims do not. The
question then arises, "Does this god then refuse to look after the
Mohammedans?" This Vishnu is really meant to serve you. It is not for
you to worship him. The abdomen is just like a reservoir from which
issue small pipes leading to different parts of the body. That is how
the various parts of the body are nourished. With the attention fixed
at this centre, the yogis repeat "Hiryng", "Hiryng." The navel centre
gets its life from the next higher centre, and that is the heart
chakra.

The ruler of the heart centre is Shiva. It is the twelve-petalled
lotus. It is known among the Muslim mystics as "Qalib-i-Sanobri". This
god, too, is meant to serve the atma (soul). He is not to be
worshipped. It would have been much better if yogis and others would
go in to contact this deity inside; but instead, people make images of
this deity and worship these idols. At this centre the yogis repeat
the word "Sohang".

The throat chakra is not a two-petalled lotus as is erroneously stated
in some books. It is instead a sixteen-petalled lotus. Shakti, also
called Devi, the highest form of Pindi Maya, presides at this centre.
The Mohammedans call her Qudrat. The Saints call her Avidya or
Ignorance, because she deludes the world. Now, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva
—the trio— are sitting below the region of Shakti and they get their
power from her. She is also called ashtangi or eight-armed. She is the
goddess of ignorance and illusion, and yet the whole world worships
her!

After the throat centre, we reach the sixth centre, which is between
and behind the eyes. This is the seat of the soul and mind combined.
The Mohammedans call it Nafs. Now, our headquarters is here between
the eyes. The gods I have previously mentioned, namely, Ganesh,
Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and the goddess Shakti or Maya, are all sitting
below the eye centre. By going in below this centre the yogi does get
some satisfaction. He also attains certain supernatural powers called
riddhis and siddhis (miraculous powers).

Many of the people of this world are engaged in idol worship of one
kind or another. Kabir Sahib says that this lower part of the body,
below the eyes, the description of which he has given in detail, is
known as the Pind region. The path of the Saints starts from the eye
centre. This path has been given to me by my own Master. We have to go
up, right up to Sach Khand, and have to become one with Sat Nam, the
Lord of the fifth region above this material world and physical
universe. Starting from the top of Pind, we have to go beyond both
Anda and Brahmanda. How are we to get to Sach Khand? Kabir Sahib says,
"Close your eyes, ears and mouth and hear the sound of the jhinga
(Cricket insect), sometimes also called the binda. It is the same as
the sound produced by the cicada, or locust." You have to do the
repetition taught you at the time of Initiation and withdraw your soul
inside, an d the light will then appear of itself.

Our outer or physical eyes are not self-lighted. These physical eyes
depend on one of five sources for their light: the sun, moon, stars,
electricity or a lamp. Whenever one of these five kinds of light is
not available, the physical eyes cannot see. The inner eye is self-
luminous and does not need any of these outer sources of light. You
close the outer eyes and see with the inner one. Also close the outer
ears and hear with the inner one. When we have done that and when our
attention is concentrated in the third eye, the light will appear. The
upward path of Sant Mat starts from the third eye.

When the inner vision opens, we see the starry heaven. We then have to
cross the sun and the moon worlds in order to go up. Farther up there
is a narrow way through which we have to pass. Kabir Sahib says that
the gate to liberation is one-tenth the size of a mustard seed, but
the mind is like an elephant and it is difficult for it to pass
through. However, if we find a True Master and He showers His Grace on
us, then the narrow passage to liberation is widened and one can
freely come and go without difficulty. Guru Nanak has said that the
way to God is one-tenth the width of a hair. Other Saints have
referred to this path as being finer or narrower than the eye of a
needle.

Farther up there are three ways, or paths, one on the right, one on
the left, and one in the middle. The left-hand path is the path of the
yogis, where riddhis (Miraculous powers), siddhis (Miraculous powers)
and other powers abound. That is why nobody who travelled this way
ever reached the higher spiritual regions above Brahmand. This is the
way of the negative power. The path on the right leads to other and
far higher universes. The left hand path is the path of the thugs.
Ours, the Path of the Saints, is the middle one. This is the Grand
Trunk Road from which we should never swerve. Kabir says, "Life is
uncertain and we should lose no time in striving to make progress on
the Path and going up during Our lifetime." Therefore, we should cross
these regions during our lifetime, and this is possible only if we
work hard.

After the soul has crossed the Sun and Moon regions, it sees the
Master within and goes up to Sahansdal Kanwal, (the thousand-petalled
lotus). From here begins the real spiritual journey in the company of
the Master. This is a brilliantly lighted region. In the world below,
that is, when we function below this centre, the soul is dominated by
the mind, and the mind is controlled by the senses; but on reaching
this region the position is reversed, namely, that senses are
controlled by the mind and the later in its turn by the soul. And this
is what it should be for a Satsangi.

The region of Sahansdal Kanwal is the last or highest region of the
yogis, beyond which the pranas or the life-currents cannot go. The
pranas may be likened to a bicycle which, having travelled on a paved
road, cannot go any farther when the pavement ends and the road is all
broken up and full of ruts and deep holes. The pranas do not go beyond
Chid Akash, the lower part of the first region, or Sahansdal Kanwal.
The yogis are not aware of the many beautiful and truly spiritual
regions that lie beyond. But even this first region is very vast, and
to describe it one would need volumes. But we have to go farther up.

The path beyond goes by way of Banknal, the so-called "crooked tunnel"
or passageway, which is very narrow and has already been referred to
as being one-tenth the width of a hair. We have to go straight
through, then go down, then come up and then go straight. This Banknal
is between Sahansdal Kanwal and Trikuti, the second region. Most of
the ancient yogis and the prophets could not go beyond this. They were
not able to see their real self, because self becomes evident only in
Par Brahm, (Par, beyond; and Brahm, the ruler of the Three Worlds);
that is in the regions beyond the realms ruled by Brahm or beyond
Trikuti.

The whole atmosphere, it should be understood, is full of souls, and
no soul can be confined or imprisoned by material boundaries. For
instance, if you put a person in a glass box and that person dies, the
soul does not remain in the box.
Inside the material body is the astral body or sukshm sharir (sukshm,
meaning very fine, and sharir, meaning body), with still another body
inside, known as the karan sharer (causal body). When all these outer
coverings (material, astral and causal) are removed from the soul, the
latter shines in its own light, which is equal to that of twelve suns.
The soul is of the essence of the Lord, and has the same attributes,
but when it is wrapped in all these coverings, it is ignorant of its
powers. Soul is chetan (all consciousness, intelligence or conscious
life-force), but by associating with material things it has become
material or more precisely, covered over by material thoughts,
desires, and the like. As we go up, the consciousness will go on
increasing in quality and spiritual power until we reach the state of
Sat Chit Anand or True Blissful Consciousness (Sat means True or
existing at all times and under all conditions; Chit means
Consciousness; and Anand means Bliss).
The spirit is the same in all of us; none of us is different from Him;
but alas! we know it not, we have not realized it.