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31THET-819.70 all, there is a necessity of living Guru, a genuine saint who has been appointed by the supreme Sat Purush to act as Guru. By living we mean one who is still in the physical body. After his death, or departure from his body, the Guru will still take care of all whom he has initiated; but he cannot accept new disciples. This is not because the Guru is limited, but because the disciple himself is so limited that he cannot receive instructions and initiation from a departed Guru. (2) The second fundamental of this system of the Masters, the pure Sant Mat, is the vital fact of the audible life stream. This stream is in fact nothing less than the Supreme One, projecting Himself on all planes of life in a constant stream of musical vibrations, through which flows the most incomprehensible power, life-giving and creative. This current is also the central factor in liberation and salvation from the endless rounds of births and deaths. This stream can be received from a living Guru only. (3) The third general truth emphasized by the saints is complete liberation and spiritual triumph while still living in the physical body. It is a central precept of the Sant Mat that nothing can be accompished after death in a way of spiritual liberation unless it is at least begun during this life. In every case, when the individual has not been initiated during the lifetime, he must return to earthly life for another chance to meet and follow a living Guru. (4) Unless a man is able to give initiation and lead his disciple upon the inner planes, he is not a Master and should not be accepted as such. And it must be remembered that initiation is of first importance. All these things are taught with great clarity and force repeatedly in the Adi Granth.
The tradition of the Radha Soami Satsang Beas is very specific on the point of the necessity of a direct spititual Master on the path of Self-realization. Truth itself may be
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