Below is another guest blog post from Anon, an ex-RSSB initiate. RSSB stands for Radha Soami Satsang Beas, an India-based religious organization headed up by a guru that I belonged to for 35 years, which explains my interest in sharing criticisms of the faith that I also found lacking. The clothes metaphor is a creative way of describing how various people can “try on” a religion like RSSB, and have markedly different reactions.
RSSB IS HARD.
They do tell you this, and many of the books do too. “It’s a lofty path” and various similar comments. Yes. It is hard. I believe life is hard enough and we don’t need to complicate it further. I didn’t want to do it anymore.
I did reach a point where I realised, it was just so hard, and I couldn’t continue. RSSB is like running a marathon, as a default setting. I just found it SO HARD. Different people have different journeys, and that is maybe why so many people have different views. Some people may agree with the things said, some people may disagree.
I would describe it like going to a store. It’s like trying on clothes at a store.
- You may pick something you love, then try it on and you love it – and you buy it. It looks good on you and you’re happy. Great! You had a great shopping experience as planned!
- You may just try something on randomly, not thinking much of it. Maybe you weren’t convinced. But then you try it on and you love it. Great! You had a great shopping experience by surprise!
- You may have been given an item, handed down from a parent. It looked good on them and looks good on you too. Great! You didn’t even have to go out shopping, your clothes were there already!
- You may have been given an item from a partner who wears the same thing. It suits them and it suits you too! Great! You didn’t even have to go out either and someone gave you something new!
There are other versions of this story too.
- You may pick up something thinking it’s great. You try it on and don’t like how it looks on you or how it feels. You’re not convinced. You say you’ll style it your way, and buy it. You never enjoy wearing it. You wear it a few times maybe. Then it sits in the back of your closet. You may throw it out discreetly in time. You’re happy for people to think you’ve stuck with it, even though you don’t. You may lie about it and claim you still do have it and wear it.
- You may pick something up because everyone else around you is wearing it, and they love it. You don’t care for it much, but you don’t hate it either. You go along with it. But now you have it, you can’t really wear anything else. This shirt is actually a team jersey. You’re not really sure if you even totally support this team. But now you’re here every weekend supporting them and you’d rather not be.
- Your parent handed down something to wear. It was really special to them. They’d be so happy if you wore it too, and it made you happy too. They’d be disappointed and sad if you didn’t. Even though it makes you sad to wear it, because you don’t like it – you wear it anyway. You wear it for them. You sometimes wonder – would they love me if I wore whatever I wanted? Is their love conditional on me doing whatever they want? Maybe when your parent passes, you will go shopping and wear what you want.
- Your partner has an item and they want you to wear the same thing too. You want to just wear what you have on – they didn’t have an issue with it before. Why now? You either 1) change yourself and wear their shirt and it makes you unhappy 2) you continue to wear your own thing, but you have to argue and justify it the entire time or 3) you leave them in order to continue to wear your own thing.
- You have a kid and your partner wants them to wear their shirt. You don’t want your kid to. They go against you and put it on them- they have to wear this. You either 1) have to fight your partner constantly on giving your child that different clothes 2) eventually give up and let them wear it and hope your kid chooses differently when they’re older 3) leave them to make sure your kid doesn’t have to wear it.
- You and your partner both had the same shirts. You both got them from your parents. You never really wore them. They just sit in the back of your closets. Now you have kids and everyone expects you to put the shirt on the kid, but you don’t even wear it yourselves. You don’t know what to do. You haven’t worn it in a while and the kids have never seen this before – but now it’s time to wear it. You are immobilised because you didn’t get anything else to wear. You either 1) begrudgingly put this back on yourselves and onto your kid, pretending this is great 2) put it on your kid but don’t wear it yourself, telling them to take it off later 3) leave and find other clothes to wear.
- You may pick up something and everyone tells you it’s great and looks good on you. People convince you to buy it. They tell you this is the best store. They’re really happy to have you as a customer. The company notices you, the store staff and even the manager does. The company gives you more stuff from here, some of it you didn’t want, but it’s rude to say no and they’re being so nice. The company decides to make you one of their store models. You literally just came in to browse and now you’re an ambassador.The company asks you to do more and more stuff for them and follow all their company rules, giving nothing in return. You just came in to get a shirt though. You try to leave with just your shirt. They don’t want you to resign, criticise you, threaten to fire you and bad things will happen when you leave the store, and they’re the only real store. You can’t take the shirt – you either wear it and work at the company and do everything they say without question for future promises – or get out and leave forever with nothing. You don’t like this pressure or how dark it’s become. You find the emergency exit, throw your shirt in the trash, and tell everyone not to go to that store.
— Anon
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This isn’t Turbans Я Us . If you just need new clothes and a new partner I have both of those available, just ask me for my number.
I have to warn everybody that I’m into the Beatles versus The Rolling Stones hate memorabilia. But I think that the combination of Tom Petty and Mike Campbell were one of the great weavers of guitars together. ( From Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers )
Very well put Anon!
Very well put Anon, the sooner we cut this RSSB cancer from our lives the better. The amount of human worship with all songs and every shabd the Sikh gurus wrote being attributed to one singular human (in today’s case 2 humans…) is abhorrable. It is crazy to me how they say no idol worship but then go to these lengths to worship a regular human being.
And the reason the RSSB path is so hard is because it doesn’t exist. There are no inner regions and their is no sachkand. Go on for four lifetimes and you will get nowhere. There is no god, just us.
Hey Neon, I agree to an extent in regards the inner regions matter. Based on an NDE I had, which correlates with that which others have had (did not realise that till 20 years after my particular experience), I am aware, or rather know that what they describe in RSSB as inner regions, do exist. RSSB gives it the name of ‘inner regions’ and limits those to 5. Lame, because it is far greater and more diverse than that.
The Tibetan Buddhist explanation is however closest to the truth of what it is and what happens.
The trouble is that people get so wrapped up in discussing and obsessing over regions, their names, who resides there etc. etc. that they fail to just get on with life, including being a decent human being, which is honestly the best any of us can do.
No question that the creation is far beyond what our brain is able to process. What you witness beyond the veil is not fully describable in Earth/human terms, but the creation is massive and complex and we cannot truly conceive of all of it. An NDE reveals that.
WasRSSB, No More
First you write that these regions exist based ipon your personal NDE experience At the end you write that the reality cannot be trully conceived in its totality and detail.
If you agree that you cannot convei the content of your experience to those near and dear, and I suppose you did your best, how can others?
The teachings are like descriptions in a travel guide.
And yes different travel agencies like those in Tibet or those in the amazon, or the flat lands of Australia do it in a different way
An NONE of these travel guides cover the reality .. you know that .. why blame them?
Without these travel guides many would not even know there was something to travel to.
Of you want to blame them there are many much more down to earth issues available and accesable to all.
Sigh.
What you experience during an NDE is nearly impossible to accurately relate to others once you are back in your ailing body. But yes, ‘regions’ do exist. Call them what you want, but there are planes, regions, dimensions – you add your favourite word here – beyond what we experience in this body.
While RSSB dabbles in 5 regions, to simplify the matter for some individuals (presumably), the creation is in fact far more complex.
What people who have had an NDE experience and what Tibetan Buddhists convey, is the most similar. Thats why I point that out.
Perhaps attempt to comprehend the reply before taking umbrage?
@ WasRSSB.No More
What you wrote is not that difficult to understand
All traditions have to teach the people at hand, in their language and their level of understanding … Nothing wrong with tibetan mathematics but they cannot be taught to those that have no ears to hear and minds to understand.
So…
Perhaps attempt to comprehend the reply before taking umbrage?
🙏
With out FORMS, to describe realms , all describable realms exist in low Astral EARTH realms, because with out forms to compare, it’s impossible to know where realms of Sounds are, as described by RSSB Shabd terms. Just about all realms described in Sar Bachan Prose, are forms.
The Apostle Paul , in the Bible kept it more simple, when he said when he was absent from the body, he was present with The Lord. Or, he mentions Heavens, but with out mentioning Heavenly Forms, he also was ignorant of inner realms.
Tracking the RSSB Map using terms like “ Light, Sun, Moon, and Stars” as sighn posts to Sach Khand, or Sawan Singh’s Conch and Bell Sounds to catch , that he says will “pull us up”,……..pulled all of us right here to Hine’s Churchless Church!
But not to worry, or loose hope, or dispair, because we have all been gifted 3 more future lives to up grade to Formless, Soundless Realms above Sach Khand. ( if we have been initiated? If not, you still have time. Hazur Gill will send you his Bill, after you promise to loose your minds .
Almost wants to make us jump for Joy, and worship. ( work for ) the Dynamic Duo BBJs!
@ Anon
Mrs Edith Eger wrote a book by the title”
“The choice, embrace the possible”
It is not a book about FACTS but how to deal with them even or especial .. horribel facts.
How to set oneselve FREE from these facts.
Facts, are just what they are
seldom what they look like,
let alone how they are seen or made seen
Humans AT-TRIBUTE meaning and value to facts, meaning and value that these facts do not have by and of them self .. they are GIVEN to them.
Two days alone on an island, all by yourself, would make all thoughts and memories about RSSB … disappear…. and wake you up in what is at hand and help you to focus on what to do to stay alive.
No shirts, no magazine, no staff, no consumers ..nobody and nothing ..all gone with the wind.
I don’t know why everyone is so ready and willing to help everyone else when they can’t even help themselves. There’s only two regions , one above the eye center and one below it. Life is very simple, it’s only you making it hard. It’s lots of fun too. Trying to decide whether a cheese has rennet or not or if the ice cream has eggs is a minor inconvenience. But yeah two loser gurus self-promoting to the point of idolization is taking what Sawan and Charan started and making loaves out of it for the masses. That’s a great rambling speech about clothes that leads nowhere. Your mind is stuck in a maze. That’s what meditation is for to get out of the maze.
>> There’s only two regions , one above the eye center and one below it<<
And .. for many even that is a matter of "hear say" as they know, only the variations of just this region of the mind and the senses.
The Mnt Everest exist and can be climbed.
Some do and have a great experience.
The question is:
Is the Mnt Everest created to be climbed?
Are humans created to climb the Mnt. Everest?
Why would anybody at al be interested to do so?
Does it make coffee taste better?
He was right in stating that "the pull [to climb the Mnt. Everest] must come from within and if it is not there, there is nothing one can do about it.
How could that pull arise in somebody that never have had any experience of that mountain .. why would anybody long for a NDE ..or an OBE etc ….having no clue whatsoever.
People have only motivations that have their roots in the mind and the senses.
There is only the exception for those that had in a natural way these experiences .. just read, if you can find it for example what yolande duran Serrano has to say when silence came over her.
These people HAVE to deal with what happens to them .. unasked for ..all others try to solve a problem in this region, having been told that in another regions the solution can be found. ., hearsay
The issue remains, setting good boundaries makes all the difference.
It’s not about you, it’s not about what feels good. It’s about moving forward.
The perfect marathon runner isn’t the one on the awards platform.
The look means nothing.
The perfect marathon runner is the one running.
Be perfect, at least in this most important way.
It’s not about you. It never was. You are leaving ‘you’ behind all the time, as you should. Let it go.
There is nothing intrinsically hard about RS. Being able to sit with one’s self for hours is a privilege. To be able to be a vegetarian is a luxury not afforded to all. Being able to avoid drugs, tobacco, and alcohol is a wonderful way to avoid getting in trouble and ruining one’s health. No need to do anything else. No absolute requirements…. and all of them are self contained. Sorry but is easy.
Do you need RS for all those things? You need a scripture to tell you what is good or bad, or to not drink or do drugs, or be vegetarian?
I always try to imagine the opposite, that if santmat would require you to sacrifice one chicken every Sunday, then satsangis would be lining up outside slaughterhouses at 3:00 am in the mornings…
@ Neon
EVERY_THING in life has to be “played by the rules” unless the consequences have to be payed.
Not only “everything” but life itself ..even taken a life ..goes by the laws of nature.
And of course, nobody needs to know, like and play cricket but if that is one’s choice even in the back streets of big Indian cities, it has to be played by the rules.
Sant Mat .. the parh if the saints and sages , is JUST ONE of the many games to be played .. nobody needs to play that game .. it is just a personal choice
Even antagonism, hate speech, aversion, atheism .. all comes with a set of rules … in order to fit an set of activities, thoughts and feelings within the boundries of an concept.
Hi everyone,
Does anyone know what ultimately happened with the legal case involving the RSSB Baba and his family? Has the matter quietly disappeared, or is it still ongoing behind the scenes?
Also, has the new Baba now taken complete control of the organization, or is the old Baba still holding influence and not fully ready to step aside? From the outside, things seem unclear, and there appears to be a lot that followers are not being openly told.
At the end of the day, many of us are simply hoping that the truth — whatever it may be — eventually comes out. Though honestly, for some people that hope feels very slim now.
Wishing the best to everyone — both those who continue to worship these Babas with faith, and those who have chosen to walk away and think independently. Everyone is on their own journey.
Seems to be swept under the rug. Last I checked the brothers were in jail. RSSB has become extremely political over the past year so them being prosecuted is near impossible now. Remember this is an organization which is said to be “apolitical”…
@ Mrs Mathur
The RSSB, Sant Mar branch is hit a small religion, sect, path etc. one can compare it with the Christian Church and its headquarter the Vatican in Rome.
Religious interests of the faithful are just part of it maybe even a small part. The organisation deals and has to deal with many [worldly, mundane] issues not at all related to its religious teachings …. That organisation has an outside face, like you and everybody else has, but whatever goes on inside that body, nobody knows … the well known .. SECRET OF THE VATICAN.
The Vatican has to look after its devotees , its clergy, its teaching etc etc but also after its properties and the organisation itself.
Now in order to look after the latter, there are only mundane laws at work and to deal with.
Further more ALL include the pope and the most saintly among the clergy and the devotees are HUMAN … and as such IM-perfect and prone to everything humans are able to
So .. in short .. we will never know probably what is going on .. because the very simple reason there are to many interests at stake in this matter … not only those of the devotee, but also economic, political ..and .. on NATIONAL level.
It all started with the heritage of an INTERNATIONAL ..HUGE .. pharmaceutical [indian[ industry and its sale to Japan
So ..I personal believe that the Indian government can not allow itself and “public” disaster etc etc etc.
That said, personal I do believe that by selling this industry and entering the world market, they made one failure, decision after another …and … as with the Vatican .. no believing Christian should stop going to church and pray for the welfare of those near and dear, because of the way the CHURCH manages its financial affairs
But for those that need an excuse these things might be important.
Personaly I believe that if one would look deeply into the affairs of government, political organisations, in fact all organisations, even those academic etc there will be things to find that cannot stand the light of the day ..BUT .. that should NOT be an reason or excuse to turn ones back upon government, democracy, academic education etc etc etc.
Omg Um! Did you just call GSD IM-perfect and simply a human???
Hi Um,
Thanks for your reply. However, I feel like the issue is being somewhat diluted by bringing in comparisons with the Vatican or Christianity, which doesn’t really address the specifics here.
From what I can see, the situation appears quite straightforward. Baba and his family seem to be involved in this alleged scam through the creation of shell companies. Many of his followers have reportedly been made directors in these entities, with some even based in the UK. On top of that, there are concerns about him avoiding court appearances using medical reasons—it raises questions when someone is able to travel globally but not attend court. His request to keep financial details undisclosed, along with alleged support for an accused drug dealer, adds further suspicion. Altogether, it doesn’t look good—you can clearly sense something is off.
That said, I do agree with you on one point: there are likely strong political interests at play. Baba appears to have significant connections with politicians, and with the Punjab elections approaching, that influence could be a major factor.
I’ve also heard that the RSSB management may have pressured him into appointing a successor (possibly a cousin or nephew). This could be a contingency plan—if the court case goes against him, they already have a replacement in place to maintain continuity of the organization.
It also makes you wonder whether these Babas truly believe in the concept of karma. If they did, would they have engaged in such actions? And if karma really works as often claimed, we would expect to see consequences for such behavior.
In any case, let’s hope that if the theory of karma holds true, the truth and its consequences will reveal themselves soon.
@ Mrs Mathur.
What was written about the ins and outs of the Vatican was just to explain the UNESCAPABLE mechanisms at hand … as I see it … and seem to be more or less universal.
It is my understanding that if the heritage of that pharmaceutical imperium was not accepted or more qualified people would have looked after the money after selling that imperium to Japan etc .. there would never have been an issue.
In my eyes it is just a matter of bad management in a mundane financial world with disastrous consequences.
More over if the heritage was taking place in an other culture, with other value attributed to family etc, the outcome would also be different.
You can hope but I doubt if the real truth will ever become public as there were other interests at stake beyond those of that one family cluster.
The pharmaceutical industry Mrs Marhur is a “dark” world in all aspects and they do not need any guru and his family to make it dark especialy in India. The saying goes:
Those that handle tar easy get stained
They could not abstain from accepting the “tar” and they HAD to be stained and the were and now everybody is in the business of damage controll
Again Mrs Mathur … in my opinion it has nothing to do with sant mat as the financial realings and dealings have nothing to do with Christianity … yet it has to be done and it will be done.
Finally ..never forget that these very organisations, however stained by tar, offer the opportunity for millions of people to practice their faith …and … THAT … to me … is more important than anything else.
Dante in his description of the hell he has special place reserved for popes and cardinals … hahaha
There are very few people in the world that are able to get there hands clean handeling money ..not only the rich etc … ALL.
Many that write here should sit down with some coffee and ask themselves if they are not staining themselves with money … and obvious even guru’s cannot escape that simple fact.
If you’re a keen observer you can see that both of the implanted rssb gurus have a very dishonest face to accompany their coy answers
@ Neon
Yes .. that is what I did … is he not a human?? … as far as I remember he was not a crow ….. and ….. as nothing animistic is alien to an crow, so there is nothing human alien to a him.
And Neon … from the days I listened, spoke and wrote to them can not remember, they said anything else.
The late MCS sitting in front of us would now and them with a loaded voice state ..LOOK, this is NOT the master [meanwhile grabbing his own knees] and poining at us and YOU are not the souls…..bodies are just bodies
And Neon
It is my personal understanding, that many followers of any religious or spiritual practice listen to much or alone to what other devotees have to say, hardly listen properly to what the protectors oif an teaching have to say and make up their own minds ….
Christ etc spoke directly toi the people, without any help of schooled explainers that over time wrote complete libraries full of books explaining what he had said.
What I remeber from my association with this path is what i use to call an “INVITATION” ..invitation to do what?
Meditation and experience for one self the outcome.
Nothing more nothing less … the rest was discussing with their followers practical issues of family life etc etc all things not at all related to the path not important in fact ..they try to make these things more important than the teachings themselves and allow the dabbling in it an excuse for not meditating
That is allright how they want to squander thei life energy.,
When there is faith one can walk the Path when there is no faith because ´outer´things are not good.. itś difficult to ´walk the Path right??
So faith is important.
So also the behaviers of the Guruś /Teachers.
I have lack of faith!!
Not about the RS path only,also about people, politics etc.
So I try to live my life..as good as possible.
There is a lot of sorrow in life.
Sometimes itś good…sure..
But…
RRSB is Hard, its a road to Hell
These Fraudulent baba like Gurinder Singh Dhillon and Jassdeep the new fake baba
Being with all these high and mighty people shows us Gurinder and Jassdeep are all about filling his ego up and not being humble and meek like a real God men should be.
Even as A Satsangi you should now Open your closed eyes and digest the ugly truth that is Gurinder Singh Dhilion and new clown jassdeep
Disgusting and revolting the way Gurinder lives a shameful way of life which exposed us ans showed us all what he really is, and not the lies he plays out on stage
He is a perfect example of a dogy Baba who is living a dishonest life and enjoying the money and lifestyle of a sold out Baba.
Who handed himself over to the Devil for his worlds lavish livings. Soldout
God would never go near such a horrendous and horrible persons who’s motive is dishonesty and deception against humanity.
No shame No morals No ethics
Sums up Gurinders life as he approaches retirement which is something never to be proud off, out of work still trying to live the disgraceful dream which is Gurinder Singh Dhilion
Such a disgraceful individual who is such a Coward and Liar who will be Punished endlessly by God for eternity
Karma is here for you, times up bud.