Yogis generally go to the first plane, Sahasrar.

Yogishwars go to the third plane and have dips into the beyond of it, you see.

The Sant, whatever is called is one who reaches the Sat Naam, the true home of the Father, you might say.

And there is the Param Sant who is transcending those three higher planes and becomes one with the Wordless, you see? These are the stages.

There are many people belonging to the first stage and some to the second or third. Few there are, who really have transcending beyond the three. And those who are regular in the fourth plane, you see, they are called Sants. The fourth plane is just divided (Brahm and Parbrahm); some people mingle up into one, some into two. True plane or Sach Khand (fifth plane), whatever it is, this is the stage of the full effulgence of the wordless God into expression. And there is furt¬her just going to be absorbed: Alakh, Agam, Anami, Radha Soami, Nirala, or Maha Dayal, whatever they call it. So that is the stage of the Highest — the Param Sant.

A Sadh is one who has gone beyond the region of Trikuti (Onkar) which is the same as Lahut in Sufi terminology and Hu in Islamic theology. By a process of self-analysis, he (a Sadh) has known the self or spirit in its real form, to wit, that it is of the same essence as God; and now he strives for God-knowledge.

A Sant or a Master in the terminology of the Saints is one who has the competency to go and come from the fifth plane Sach Khand (or the abode of Truth) at his sweet will and pleasure.

A Sant is one who is adept not only in self-knowledge but in God-knowledge as well. He far transcends the material, materio-spiritual, and the spirituo-material realms. Master of Truth as He is, his abode is in the purely spiritual region, technically called Sach Khand or Muquam-i-Hag, the realm of Truth.

A Param Sant is the grand Master of Truth beyond all description and hence ineffable. He is at one with what is variously known as Anami (the Nameless) of Kabir; Nirala (indescribably won¬derful), Maha Dayal (boundless mercy) or Soami (the great Lord of all).

Q: »I almost can picture Sack Khand which You describe as pure spirit, but then You go on to describe three planes above the plane of Sach Khand, which itself is pure spirit and that's hard for me to understand.«

Sant Kirpal Singh: No, no — mark the difference in the words that I am using. I have said, Sat Naam is the full expression of the wordless stage of God; the full expression is Sat Naam. He is fully expressed. The higher planes that go absorbing, you see, until it comes to the wordless state where there is no Light and no Sound — those are stages above Sach Khand. Ultimately in the wordless stage there is no expres¬sion of Light or Sound. That comes only when it comes into expression. Those, you might say, are the different divisions of Sach Khand: Alakh, Agam and Anami (ultimate wordless stage).

Q »Then Master would be the first manifestation !«

Sant Kirpal Singh: Generally that Power which is in full expression that takes the form of a Guru. He is the Sat Naam, working, living in the human pole. And then Sat Naam the duty comes to absorb the further. So Guru has also got stages — Guru, Guru Dev, Satguru. You see, Guru is one, at the human pole, but it is the God in Him working. He is conscious. Guru Dev is one, when you rise above the physical body, that works in the planes second to fourth, uptil fifth, to absorb you in the Sat Naam. That is called Guru Dev — means radiant form of the Master. Then Sat Naam is the true Satguru. That absorbs you by the stages Alakh, Agam and Anami.

So there are stages of the Guru, too. But today each one is called a »Guru«.
But we are misguided, foolish people who sometimes allow ourselves to be drawn away from the true Guru — forgive me, this happens. No matter what difficulties come, no matter what your condition may be, never leave hold of the Guru's hand — for your own sake. It is a natural law that you will go to that stage which your Master has reached.

And when you rise above physical body, He comes in the radiant form, as Guru Dev. Guru Dev means effulgent Guru, that guides you in the higher planes: second, third, fourth, absorbs you in the Sat Naam and further, that absorbs you in the wordless stage.

The further stages are of the Param Sants, you see. If a Sant (Master) is going into the nameless stage — Anami — then He is working as Param Sant (or Almighty Power). But generally people make no difference — they say, everybody is a »Guru.«

Excerpts from different talks and books of Sant Kirpal Singh