"On the earth plane, our soul has three states of being — wakefulness, dream and slumber. The tenth gateway, however, leads to a state of super-consciousness known as Turiya.* [*Turiyapad: another name for Sahansdal Kanwal. The state of superconsciousness, where the soul makes its first contact with the Real Shabd.] This lies beyond the experience and comprehension of ordinary mortals. So long as we are awake, the soul occupies a position in the middle of the forehead, between the two eyes. Thus even a blind man, if you call him, will answer by exerting pressure at this centre. In the dream state the soul lies at a point in the throat, while in slumber it falls to the navel. Just as the farther we are from light the darker does it appear, so also dreams, which come when the soul has fallen from its refulgent position in the forehead, are vague and incomplete. The spirit cannot function normally and our experiences are chaotic. One may see a head but no feet; or the feet may be visible and the head invisible. In the state of deep sleep, the soul drops still lower to the navel, and coarse covers envelop it. Those who practice pranayam (the science of breath control) do so at this low navel centre. True peace can be found only in the regions above the eye-centre. As you draw nearer this centre, you feel greater peace descending upon you, exactly as you begin to get a cooling sensation when you are climbing a mountain and begin to approach the summit. That is why the mind and soul must be fixed and made motionless at the eye centre. As soon as this is done, the current of consciousness in the entire physical body will withdraw and collect at that centre and the body will become senseless." (Huzur Baba Sawan Singh)
"Knock on yourself as upon a door, and walk upon yourself as on a straight road. For if you walk on the road, it is impossible for you to go astray. And if you knock with this one (Wisdom), you knock on hidden treasures….. My son, do not allow your mind to stare downward, but rather, let it look by means of the Light at things above. For the Light will always come from above. Even if it (the mind) is upon the earth, let it seek to pursue the things above. Enlighten your mind with the Light of heaven, so that you may turn to the Light of heaven." (The Teachings of Silvanus, in, The Nag Hammadi Library — one of the Gnostic texts from Egypt)
Your Beloved is Awaiting You There, by Swami Ji Maharaj
O friend! Raise your Surat to Gagan [mystic sky], and be free from all fears, doubts and misgivings.
Leave this house and go to the mosque at higher regions. Hear the Bang [inner Sound], and meditate upon the One who is undecaying and unconquered.
Enjoy the bliss of Naam. This is the gist of Guru's teachings. Sing wondrous songs to the accompaniment of music of Shabd.
Let your mind remain absorbed, adopting the ways of Guru. Cultivate love for Him.
Conquer and disperse the forces of Kal and Karam, and cast off delusions.
Hear the Sound in Sunn, free from Maya. Receive Prashad from Sants.
Adopt the Saran of Radhasoami. Make elixir of Naam internally.
O Sakhi (friend)! Come and take your seat in the palace. Your Beloved is awaiting you there.
Enjoy bliss. Run away from the world. Sit on the throne and reign.
Join the assembly of Hansas, and accomplish your task.
Give up all other considerations, and seize Guru's Holy Feet. Clean the mirror of your heart.
Sift and winnow the grain of Dhun (Sound), in the winnowing basket of Surat and Nirat.
Thank your great good fortune that you have got all the accoutrements. Sat Guru has bestowed on you the Crown and the Throne.
All the three worlds stand exposed before you. You will rise to the fourth Lok and enjoy the happiness of sovereignty.
As you are a recipient of this gift of Radhasoami, nothing detrimental can happen to you anymore. (Swami Ji Maharaj, Sar Bachan Radhaswami Poetry, Volume One)
When reading the Sar Bachan Poetry always consult with the Radhasoami Dictionary of Mystic Terms:http://rsfaith.org/l2ltywdlcy9zdg9yawvzl1jtrlberi9fbmdsaxnol0dsb3nzyxj5x29mx1jtx0zhaxrolnbkzg==/download
Ancient Love — Anoushka Shankar:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXtG8o1YrgU
Tibetan Monks — Big OM of Tibet:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHDsCMvDUEQ
Great Info, wonderful poetry Shabdaji …
In early Hindu philosophy, turiya (also called caturtha) is a state of pure consciousness, or the experience of ultimate reality and truth. It is a fourth state of consciousness that underlies and at the same time transcends three common states of consciousness: (i) the state of waking consciousness (jagrata), (ii) the state of dreaming (svapna), (iii) and dreamless sleep (susupti).
Turiya – Advaita concept
The first two states are defective as experiences of reality and truth because of their flawed dualistic natures of subject and object, self and not-self, ego and non-ego. In the third state, dreamless sleep, one is not conscious of external or internal objects. But that does not mean consciousness is not present there. It is like saying 'I don't see anything in darkness'. The recognition that I don't see anything is what I 'see'. So also in dreamless sleep, one is not conscious of anything and the very fact that this statement is true proves the existence of consciousness during deep sleep.
In other words consciousness is the constant factor in all the three states and it is unaffected by the presence or absence of objects. Consciousness itself does not require to be revealed by another consciousness. It is self-revealed.While everything is presented to consciousness and is revealed by it, consciousness itself is not presented to anything else. It is never an object in relation to another subject. It is that which underlies both subject and object. It is the fourth, the turiya, the brahman.
The Mandukya Upanishad defines turiya as follows,
"The fourth state is not that which is conscious of the subjective, nor that which is conscious of the objective, nor that which is conscious of both, nor that which is simple consciousness, nor that which is all-sentient mass, nor that which is all darkness. It is unseen, transcendent, the sole essence of the consciousness of self, the completion of the world."
Turiya – Dvaita Vaishnava concepts
Four states of consciousness
Turiya represents consciousness free from material influence. The idea is that consciousness, of which the atman is constituted, exists in our wakeful state of material experience, as it continues during sleep. In sleep we dream and experience the mental realm, whereas during our waking state the physical plane has more bearing on our lives.
Upon awakening from deep dreamless sleep one remembers existing in that condition. This is evidenced by the common expression, 'I slept well!' One cannot remember something one has no experience of.
Thus in deep sleep when intelligence is transformed by tamo guna, the self continues to exist, as it does when intelligence is transformed by rajo guna during the dream condition and during the wakeful condition when intellect is transformed by sattva guna. The self is thus independent of the body and mind. If the physical and mental realms were to shut down, the self would continue to exist. This we know from our experience in deep sleep. Realizing this involves entering the turiya.
God as turiya
Bhagavata Purana 11.15.16 describes Bhagavan with the words turiyakhye (the fourth), the meaning of which is found in the Bhagavad Gita 7.13:
tribhir guna-mayair bhavair ebhih sarvam idam jagat
mohitam nabhijanati mam ebhyah param avyayam
"Deluded by the three [gunas], the whole world does not know Me, who am above them and inexhaustible."
Fifth state in Gaudiya Vedanta
The fourth dimension is the ground of our existence and the goal of all transcendentalists. For the Vedanta philosophers it is perceived variously, either as undifferentiated consciousness or a relationship with the divine. Regarding the latter, Gaudiya Vaishnava Theology concludes that love is greater than ourselves, and it is the greatest aspect of God, one that he himself is motivated by. For them, the nondual consciousness of Vedanta philosophy is realized when we know that we do not belong to ourselves, what to speak of anything belonging to us. If there is any time at which we can accurately say that something belongs to us, it is when, having given ouselves in love to God, we can say that "he is ours." Thus Gaudiya Vaishnavas are interested in turyatitah gopala (Lord Gopala beyond fourth dimension, Gopala-tapani Upanishad 2.96). This is the fifth dimension, in which one comes face to face with Gopala Krishna in Braj (Vraja Dhama), from adhoksaja to aprakrta, from God consciousness to Krishna consciousness. Jiva Gosvami elaborated on the turiya state in his Sandarbhas.
~ http://www.hindudharmaforums.com
The great master
"His eyes were intoxicated with love of God and His hand was one with that of God. He was mouthpiece of God and God Himself spoke through that human throat."
An excellent selection Shabda.