Gurinder Singh

Baba Gurinder Singh Ji Dhillon became the successor to Maharaj Charan Singh at the age of 36 years on June 1, 1990.^[1] He is the second youngest person to be appointed to head the Radha Soami Satsang Beas headquarters,^[2] (Huzur Maharaj Charan Singh Ji was 35 yrs old at the time of appointment, and Baba Jaimal Singh Ji was 38 yrs old).

Gurinder Singh Dhillon was born to a Sikh family of the Dhillon clan who were followers of the Radha Soami gurus at Beas. His family is from a traditional agricultural community of Punjab, India. He was educated at the Lawrence School, Sanawar, in the Shimla Hills of Himachal Pradesh,^[3] considered one of the top schools in India, and obtained his Bachelor's degree in Commerce from Punjab University, Chandigarh. He began his career in the hotel industry and later worked for DCM in the yarn division. He was in Spain working as a salesman before he came back to India to accept his nomination as the next spiritual head of RSSB in 1990. He lives off his own income and in keeping with the policy for all volunteers (sevadars), he does not receive any money or honorarium from the Society. As with his predecessors, he has dedicated his life to serving the Society and guiding its members on the spiritual path.^[4]

The headquarters of the society, called Dera Baba Jaimal Singh, are located beside the river Beas near the town of Beas, Punjab, in northern India, and have been a center for satsang since 1891. Radha Soami Satsang Beas or (RSSB), has centers located worldwide. It is a registered non-profit, charitable society, independent of any political or commercial affiliations.

Philosophy and teachings

The philosophy that Baba Gurinder Singh represents, claims to be based on the common experiences of mystics from many religions and is also known as Sant Mat. Sant Mat means 'Teachings of the Saints'.

Radha Soami Satsang Beas (RSSB) says it is a philosophical organization based on the spiritual teachings which lie at the core of all religions and it is dedicated to a process of inner development under the guidance of a spiritual teacher.

In the Indian language, Radha Soami means ‘lord of the soul’ (radha = soul; swami = lord,) satsang describes a group that seeks truth, and Beas refers to the town near which the main center is located in northern India. There are a number of other contemporary movements that use the name ‘Radha Soami’ but Radha Soami Satsang Beas is not associated with any of them.

The path of Surat Shabt yoga (yoga of the audible sound) was established in India in 1891 under this line of spiritual Masters and gradually began spreading to other countries in the mid 20th century. Today RSSB holds meetings in more than 90 countries worldwide. It is a registered non-profit society with no affiliation to any political or commercial organizations. However, there has been a widespread feeling that the sect has taken on the mantle of mellowing down the militant tone of Sikhism at the behest of the Central Government of India in general and the Congress Party in specific. This has ostensibly been done by a very subtle but crafty attempt at disassociating the 10th Guru of the Sikhs from Sikh theological thought. This probably has been undertaken in order to indoctrinate a supposedly restive community i.e. the Sikhs toward becoming a more pacifist lot.

The philosophy teaches a personal path of spiritual development which includes a lacto-vegetarian diet, abstinence from intoxicants, alcohol and mind altering drugs, a moral way of life and the practice of daily meditation. There are no rituals, ceremonies, hierarchies or mandatory contributions, nor are there compulsory gatherings. Members need not give up their cultural identity or religious preference to follow this path.

The meditation method imparted at the time of initiation is known as Surat Shabd Yoga and is practiced according to the teacher's instructions. It is a solitary practice where the disciple concentrates within with eyes closed, usually sitting cross-legged or any other comfortable position, and performs simran: repeating the five holy names (which may be looked upon as a 'mantra'). This is followed by bhajan: an attempt by the disciple to listen to the divine Sound or 'Word' (also known as Shabd) within. Both these practices form the complete method of meditation as prescribed by Surat Shabd Yoga within [Sant Mat].

Spiritual discourses

Baba Gurinder Singh Ji gives discourses on three continuous Sundays of most months (except January, July, and August) at the RSSB headquarters in Beas, Punjab. Many people from India, as well as other countries, come to hear these discourses. A simple satsang is also held on Saturdays in his presence. He also gives satsang at other major centers of RSSB in India. He goes on tour to the various RSSB centers outside of India during the months of April–August. This is for the benefit of the disciples that do not have the opportunity to travel to India.

See also

• Radha Soami Satsang Beas
• Charan Singh
• Sant Mat
• Beas

References

External links

• Radha Soami Satsang Beas
• Science of the Soul Research Centre