The Inner Spiritual Regions Described in Sant Mat

The Sant Mat inner journey is described as an inward ascent through increasingly subtle spiritual regions, during meditation, from the Third Eye to the abode of the Supreme Being (called Sach Khand) and beyond. (see video below)

The teachings of Sant Mat describe an extraordinary inner journey of the soul, beginning with the withdrawal of attention from the physical senses and progressing through increasingly subtle regions of consciousness. The ‘process’ to accomplish this involves mantra meditation, which can be very challenging, as the mind/thoughts has to be ‘stilled’ from thinking about anything to do with the physical world and solely focus on the mantra. As the Sant Mat inner journey unfolds, each spiritual region is associated with distinctive experiences of light, sound and consciousness.

Mantra Meditation:
Mantra meditation is the ‘deepest’ meditation style. ‘Mantra’ is a Sanskrit word derived from two roots: man (mind or to think) and trai (tools or instrument). Literally, mantras are ‘tools of the mind’, or ‘instruments of thought’. In practical terms, a mantra is a word or series of words either given to you by a spiritual teacher or chosen by yourself.

The mantra chosen by you can be as simple as ‘OM’ or ‘I AM’ or longer, such as ‘I am at peace’; ‘I am calm’, ‘I am one with God’, or ‘I am relaxed’. One of the more common Hindu mantras is ‘Om Namah Shivaya’, meaning ‘I bow to the inner self’ or ‘I bow to Shiva’. Mantras help to still the mind and encourage peace.

Sant Mat Inner Journey

You may also get a specific mantra from a spiritual teacher, and in the Sant Mat tradition there is always a living spiritual teacher to guide you.

Examples of mantra meditations:

1. Sit upright in a comfortable position, close your eyes, and look straight ahead, into the ‘darkness’, focusing on the Third Eye chakra area (between the eyebrows) and mentally repeat your mantra at a relaxed, calm pace. The Third Eye chakra is the ‘gateway’ to ‘higher vibrational worlds’ which can be reached through this meditation.

2. When your mind wanders away from your attention to your mantra, and starts thinking of other things, gently return your focus to it. You may find your mind wandering constantly – that is normal. Just practice bringing it back time and time again, to you observing yourself repeating your mantra.

In The Dawn of Light, Master Sawan Singh presents a remarkable account from the writings of Soami Ji Maharaj, describing these regions through imagery of radiant light, celestial landscapes and distinctive inner sounds.

The following is a brief summary of these traditional descriptions.

The stages of the inner journey starts at the 3rd Eye:

• 1. Tisra Til — The Third Eye: The journey begins with inner light, a five-coloured flower garden and a brilliant blue circular region. Sounds resembling bells and conch shells are described.
• 2. Trikuti — The Second Region: Dark thunderclouds give way to a vast red sphere, a four-petalled red lotus and three great mountain peaks. The inner sound resembles powerful drums.
• 3. Daswan Dwar — The Third Region: A realm of brilliant light containing Mansarovar (The Lake on Immortality), where the soul is described as bathing and joining the hansas (swans). Delicate string-like sounds are heard.
• 4. Maha Sunn — The Great Void: An immense transitional region, initially experienced as profound darkness, containing vast worlds and mysterious inner sounds.
• 5. Bhanwar Gupha — The Fourth Region: A magnificent realm of radiant islands, jewelled palaces and a brilliant white sun. The spiritual sound is compared to a beautiful flute.
• 6. Sach Khand — The Fifth Region: One of the most significant stages of the Sant Mat inner journey is Sach Khand, described as the realm of the Supreme Being (Sat Purush) and pure spiritual consciousness. The realm of Sat Purush, described through golden palaces, silvery fields, streams of nectar and extraordinary spiritual radiance.
• 7. Alakh Lok and Agam Lok: Higher spiritual regions whose beauty and nature are said to transcend human understanding and description.
• 8. Radha Soami Dham: The supreme spiritual reality described in this tradition, where the soul’s journey culminates in complete union and divine love.

Ultimately, the Sant Mat inner journey is understood not as a physical journey through space, but as an inward awakening through meditation, devotion and the divine Sound Current.

These descriptions are drawn from Sant Mat mystical literature and are presented as spiritual teachings.

Source: Soami Ji Maharaj’s writings, as presented by Sawan Singh in The Dawn of Light, published by Radha Soami Satsang Beas.
Link to Sant Mat website:  https://rssb.org/index.html

Other related links to posts on my Chakra Wisdom website:

Ringing in the Ears – A Spiritual Perspective

Third Eye Chakra – 5th: dynamic meditation portal to spiritual realms