(Responding to a defender of the Satsangi spiritual path)Interesting that you avoid any references to Islam,Peter.And yet as surprising as it may seem to some modern people some if not most of the answers to being balanced are there.For example,in reference to the Kirpal Singh model of meditate in every possible moment I substitute the erxample opf the Sahhabi ,I believe it may have been Abu Dhar who was reproached for spending every day fasting and every night praying.He was corrected for not giving his wife and his family their rights.The Prophet saws said to him: This is not our way ,Abu Dhari.We stand in prayer and we sleep:we fast and we eat.This is the way of moderation” I.e.The Middle Way.”
The problem with approaches like that of Sant Mat and other Hinduistic ways is not only that of the modern world vs. traditional societies.There is a deep-seated metaphysical,theological error contained within it.If our only purpose in existence is to meditate and join with the Absolute(Nibbana,satori,samadhi,moksha or whatever else you like to call it)why were we created in the first place?! The Light and the Knowledge existed before us and will continue to exist for eternity.Or as the Sufis say God is Self-sufficient.He doesn’t need us or our practices! I believe Ramana Maharshi said something to the same effect-that it doesn’t matter whether we get enlightened or not,the Light continues to exist.But his thought was not complete because he couldn’t answer the question of the purpose of our individual,separate existence- a serious problem for the Non-dualists.