We are all lovers, devotees of a higher power, thousands of lovers, but the Beloved is one for all. He whom we desire is the beloved of the whole world and is the one God for all men, not specifically for Muslims only, or for Hindus only, or for Christians only.
          Sant Kirpal Singh

Concentration of spirit-current is necessary before it can rise into the higher spiritual planes

From the book "Jap Ji – The message of Guru Nanak", written by Sant Kirpal Singh

 

These centres correspond with those of the macrocosm in the Brahmand and spiritual regions. The spirit-current enables one to peep into those grand divisions. The development of the elementary powers of spirit is, therefore, most necessary. It is the concentration of this spirit current which plays the greatest part in the achievement. If it is applied to the physical body, one gains strength. If it dwells upon the intellect, one develops great mental powers. In the same way, if spirit is made the object of concentration, spiritual life inevitably follows and supreme bliss is attained. There is an unseen nerve that connects all these centres which is called Sushumna Nari or Shah-rug. It is through this that the spirit current passes from the lowest region to that of the highest region of Truth.

The concentration of the spirit then is the opening process, so that the spirit may progress to the higher regions. Until all outgoing faculties are self-centred or inwardly focused, the spirit does not gain strength enough to go up. There are ten outgoing faculties or Indriyas: – five are the gross – eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin through which the five others – the subtle Indriyas – of sight, audition, smell, taste and touch keep man attached to the outer world. It would thus appear that it is the constant thought of these faculties which externalises man.

We constantly think of the world through three main sources. First, we have the eyes that visualise the outward phenomena and bring them within the mental gaze. Through the eyes we gather in no less than 83 percent of our impressions from outside. The second source is that of the ears which pull our attention to outward sounds and remind us of things in the objective world. Through the ears we get 14 percent of our outer impressions. The third source is that of the tongue (palate) which, through taste and speech, keeps the memory of the outward world always afresh. The remaining three percent of the outward impressions are received through tongue and the rest of the sense organs. It is through these three main faculties that man remains constantly in touch with the outer world and is ever engaged either in receiving impressions from without or impressing others with his own thoughts. The energy of the mind is thus drained away, leaving one bankrupt. The Master tells us not to exhaust our energy. We must accumulate and preserve our energy, so that we may be able to rend asunder the various sheaths of matter which encase the self within us.

The spirit or soul is attached to the objective world outside, on account of objective impressions. Unless the outgoing faculties are controlled and the spirit is freed from the bondage of life, it cannot rise above body-consciousness. The three faculties of speech or taste, sight and audition cause a constant outflow of energy through their respective sense organs. For the depersonalisation of the soul, it is necessary to channelise our energy inwards and upwards through the processes of inversion and self-analysis.

The Master explains the process in these words:
It is by putting the three organs under constant restraint
that one hears Anhad.
O Nanak, in the deep trance state,
one knows no eve nor dawn.

Boo Ali Qalandar, a Mohammedan saint, speaks of this process, as follows:
Close thine eyes, ears and tongue,
and if with all these,
the secret of Truth is not revealed unto thee,
thou may scoff at me forthright.

Kabir also describes the same thing in his own inimitable way:
The Guru has shown me the channels
through which the mind stuff flows out.
By stopping the outgoing faculties,
I hear the melodies of the Eternal Song.

Sorath Kabir

Fix thy soul on the remembrance of the Lord and lock thy tongue,
Closing down all the outer doors, peep thou within.

Kabir

Guru Arjan says:
Whosoever keeps under control his ten senses,
He shall see the Light of God dawn within him.

Gauri Sukhmani M.5

These organs of tongue, eyes and ears, etc., are at work in the physical frame, while one is in a wakeful state and they work likewise in the astral plane when one is in a dream state. The faculties of these organs get enhanced and become powerful if one were to restrict their outward flow. It is then that one gains strength to fathom the subjective world, for without the quickening life-impulse of the soul they lie dormant.