Radhasoami and Hearing sounds while meditating

Exploring Theravāda's connections to other paths - what can we learn from other traditions, religions and philosophies?
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4GreatHeavenlyKings
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Radhasoami and Hearing sounds while meditating

Post by 4GreatHeavenlyKings »

Has anyone else here heard of Radhasoami? It is a religion originating in India during the 19th century CE that claims that its practitioners, once initiated by a guru, can experience union with an uncreated creator god by achieving meditative states during which they hear sounds that they claim are an uncreated creator god's energies.

Buddhist meditation manuals, from what I understand, teach that hearing sounds during meditative states can occur, but such sounds should not be given the same significance that Radhadoami attributes to them.

Do I understand this correctly?
SarathW
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Re: Radhasoami and Hearing sounds while meditating

Post by SarathW »

The only sound I hear in my meditation is my tinnitus.
I hear the sound of my tinnitus all my waking hours even now when I type this.
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
4GreatHeavenlyKings
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Re: Radhasoami and Hearing sounds while meditating

Post by 4GreatHeavenlyKings »

SarathW wrote: Tue Jun 08, 2021 8:52 pm The only sound I hear in my meditation is my tinnitus.
I hear the sound of my tinnitus all my waking hours even now when I type this.
I think that Radhasoami is strange for glorifying what could easily be tinnitus. And I write as a person with tinnitus.
SarathW
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Re: Radhasoami and Hearing sounds while meditating

Post by SarathW »

4GreatHeavenlyKings wrote: Tue Jun 08, 2021 9:18 pm
SarathW wrote: Tue Jun 08, 2021 8:52 pm The only sound I hear in my meditation is my tinnitus.
I hear the sound of my tinnitus all my waking hours even now when I type this.
I think that Radhasoami is strange for glorifying what could easily be tinnitus. And I write as a person with tinnitus.
Agree.
I can recall one very famous Western monk was glorifying the sound in meditation. (I don't want to name him as I can't find the source now)
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
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JamesTheGiant
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Re: Radhasoami and Hearing sounds while meditating

Post by JamesTheGiant »

Ajahn Sumedho talks about the Sound of Silence a lot. It's his main method of meditation.
Here's a book of his talks about it.
https://cdn.amaravati.org/wp-content/up ... ilence.pdf

For me, in meditation I sometimes hear the sound of beautiful bells, or I hear thousands of tiny birds chirping behind the voice of the monk leading a meditation.
It's quite amazing, and sometimes continues when I'm not meditating.
It all disappears after a few days of not meditating.
I've been taught to not give it any importance, and just treat it like an irrelevant side effect.
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Goofaholix
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Re: Radhasoami and Hearing sounds while meditating

Post by Goofaholix »

I haven't heard of them.

I find that that the sound of silence is generally apparent whenever I'm mediating if attention is quite stable, also if it's competing with a noisy environment but not as strong. When attention is superficial it's usually not noticeable.

So I use it as an indicator.

Sometimes if i make it the primary object it increases in intensity, I think it could become very intense if I kept it up over a long period, I can understand how an unscrupulous religious teacher might make it out to be more than it is.
Pronouns (no self / not self)
“Peace is within oneself to be found in the same place as agitation and suffering. It is not found in a forest or on a hilltop, nor is it given by a teacher. Where you experience suffering, you can also find freedom from suffering. Trying to run away from suffering is actually to run toward it.”
― Ajahn Chah
SarathW
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Re: Radhasoami and Hearing sounds while meditating

Post by SarathW »

I am living in such a noisy place, it is impossible for me to not hear anything at all.
To make it worse I have the ringing in my ear so I am hearing something 24x7.
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
4GreatHeavenlyKings
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Re: Radhasoami and Hearing sounds while meditating

Post by 4GreatHeavenlyKings »

Goofaholix wrote: Wed Jun 09, 2021 5:13 am I haven't heard of them.

I find that that the sound of silence is generally apparent whenever I'm mediating if attention is quite stable, also if it's competing with a noisy environment but not as strong. When attention is superficial it's usually not noticeable.

So I use it as an indicator.

Sometimes if i make it the primary object it increases in intensity, I think it could become very intense if I kept it up over a long period, I can understand how an unscrupulous religious teacher might make it out to be more than it is.
Well, you are right that several Radhasoami leaders have been very unscrupulous - David Christopher Lane has written much about them.
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