Radhasoami Satsang
From NonSpiritual
| Name | Radhasoami Satsang |
| Founder | Shiv Dayal |
| Started in | 1861 |
| Current Leader | Various Factions |
| Spiritual Tradition | Sikhism, Hinduism |
| Practices | Meditation, Lectures |
| Headquarters | Various Cities in India |
| Website | Various |
| No. of Followers | >One Million (claimed) |
| Active in | Worldwide |
Contents |
Introduction
A spiritual group established in 1861 by a banker in Agra, Shiv Dayal, it has the following salient features:
- Calls itself Sant-Mat (The view of the saints). It considers the teaching of almost any (mostly North Indian) saint as valid, irrespective of his/her denomination.
- Borrows heavily from North Indian saints including the first five Sikh Gurus, Kabir, etc.
- Believes in the importance of a living Guru who provides initiation, guidance and whose face is an aid in meditation.
Practices
- Surat Sabd Yoga
- Regular Satsangs (congregations and lectures)
Controversies and Criticism
- Advocate a living Guru as essential to liberation
- The meditation involves focusing on the guru's face between one's eyes
- Gurus in its various factions have been from the upper caste rich
- Factionalism
- Radhasoami Satsang Beas and Radhasoami Satsang Dayalbagh have their own controversies and criticisms
Subgroups
After Shiv Dayal died, the group split into two main factions
- Radhasoami Satsang Beas, initially led by Jaimal Singh is the biggest faction. It split once more after the death of Jaimal Singh, into a sect led by Baba Bagga Singh. That sect is called Radhasoami Dera Baba Bagga Singh.
- Radhasoami Satsang Dayalbagh, initially led by Saligram which, after the death of Saligram sprouted a new branch called the Radhasoami Satsang Dinod, initially led by Brat Lal Verman[1]
Further Reading
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radhasoami
- Radhasoami Satsang Dayalbagh
- Radhasoami Satsang Beas
- Radhasoami Satsang Dinod
- Radhasoami Dera Baba Bagga Singh
- Radhasoami, Beas Secret History
