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From The Dross To The Divine

A P Kamath in Naperville, Illinois

Ten years ago, Rajinder Singh was an engineer and researcher at AT&T. But his deep interest in spirituality often caused him wonder he was doing anything right. He was not interested in sectarian of spiritualism, and for several years, he had been drawn to the teachings of Sant Darshan Singh.

It did not come as a big surprise to his friends when Rajinder Singh decided to be a full-time standard-bearer for Darshan Singh and the Sant Mat tradition that goes back to the Bhakti tradition in 15th century India.

Today, the former electronic engineer is one of the most restless Indian gurus in America. Ever on the move across America and India, Rajinder Singh's reputation has increased in recent years following the blessing he has received from the Dalai Lama. Articles about him have appeared in many major American publications.

At his recent discourses at the Science of Spirituality Center in Naperville, there were more than 300 people filling the auditorium. His associates say the number is significant because people are drawn to the movement because of good word of mouth.

"The difficulty is in stilling the mind," he said in a soothing and resolute voice. "But it will get easier as we learn to experience more and more of our true selves."

He believes that people are drawn to teachers like him because there is no offer of magic or instant nirvana. But there are demands: no alcohol, tobacco, meat, and emphasis on unselfishness and inner life.

"We don't have a certain prayer. We don't dress alike. Each of us has our own backgrounds, our own traditions," Singh told a reporter. "There are no outer rituals. That is the beauty of who we are."

The organization has at least 400,000 members worldwide. Most of them have not given up on their own religions but come to listen to Singh and learn from his the art of serious meditation and introspection. In America, most of the activities are conducted in English, but Punjabi and Hindi literature about the spiritual movement is easily available. In cities with a large Hispanic population, Spanish pamphlets are available.

The spiritual movement with headquarters in New Delhi where it is known as the Sawan Kirpal Ruhani Mission defines god in the broadest sense:

The one who created everything, who brought creation into being and under whose will everything works.

It is the above definition of God and the lack of rituals in the movement that encourages ministers of other religions to attend Rajinder Singh's spiritual discourses.

"I think it's more and more the case that people want a direct connection with god, not through the medium of a religion," said Reverend Robert V Thompson, a senior minister at the Lake Street American Baptist Church in Evanston and a regular attendee at the Science of Spirituality Center, in a chat with the Chicago Tribune.

Too many contemporary churches, Thompson said, have turned their focus from a personal encounter with God toward the rigidities of their particular religion.

Meditation removes some of the religious trappings and allows him and other Sant Mat practitioners "to be more aware of the divine presence of god."

The Sant Mat technique requires concentration on a point behind and between the eyebrows, called the ajna chakra or the "seat of the soul."

Singh espouses this type of meditation because it clears up the clutter of every day life and eventually leads to contact with the God and finding the true self.

"When each individual has achieved inner peace, we will see lasting outer peace in the world," he said.

Singh has written several books on spirituality. Among them, Inner And Outer Peace Through Meditation has a foreword by the Dalai Lama.

For more information write to the Science of Spirituality Center, 4 S 175 Naperville Road, Naperville, IL 60563 USA; phone: (708) 955-1200; fax (708) 955-1205 e-mail: info@sos.org

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