Foundations: History of the Sant Bani School

Answering a need for an alternative educational environment for students in central New Hampshire, the Sant Bani School welcomed its first group of six students in 1973. The school began as a service of Sant Bani Ashram, a spiritual retreat center which had been founded ten years earlier. On a tour of the United States in 1963, Master Kirpal Singh of New Delhi, India, gave a talk at the Unitarian Church in Franklin, New Hampshire, spending the night in nearby Sanbornton in a 200-year-old Colonial house, the private home of Russell and Judith Perkins. During that visit Master Kirpal Singh founded the Sant Bani Ashram.

Over the next decade the work of the Ashram attracted a number of families with young children. Creating an educational setting which would support a spiritual perspective as well as provide sound scholastic training was an idea which bore fruit on September 6, 1973. From the beginning the school has encouraged the enrollment of students of any background, and the early rapid growth (from six to thirteen to thirty-five in three years) confirmed that such a resource was much needed. The school, which began under the direction of Master Kirpal Singh (1894-1974), continued with the guidance and support of Sant Ajaib Singh of Rajasthan, India (1926-1997), who visited the school a number of times.

The land of the Ashram was established as a sanctuary for living creatures, and beyond the obvious restrictions against hunting and fishing, the spiritual teachings promoted a reverence for all life through a vegetarian diet. As the school took shape, it was agreed by all that this non-violent approach to life should be reflected in the school as well. Thus, while not requiring families to change their diets outside of school, the school has always asked that food taken on the premises or as part of school functions be vegetarian.

By the early 1980s the school had grown so much that it became apparent that it should operate independently of the Ashram. Under the direct supervision of Sant Ajaib Singh, the school became a separate legal entity from the Ashram, created a new board of directors, and came to own the land on which its buildings stood. Legal separation notwithstan-ding, its relation to the Ashram remains very strong.

The guiding principles of the school are set forth in Kirpal Singh’s talk “Toward the New Education,” given June 21, 1972: “The real aim of education is to develop the character and individuality of the pupil, his mind, will, and soul power. The best education is that which teaches us that the end of knowledge is service. This ‘service’ is another name for love and fellowship, which constitute the very essence of personal and social life…. We envisage such an atmosphere where persons will be able to grow and develop integrally without losing contact with their souls.”

Sant Bani School does not apply pressure on anyone to accept a certain set of beliefs. There are no distinctions made regarding who is or is not associated with the spiritual precepts of the Ashram. Students and faculty of all backgrounds are welcome; the school believes that truth can thrive only when there is freedom of thought and expression.

The meaning of “Sant Bani” and “Spiritual Path”

Visitors often wonder about the name Sant Bani. Actually there are several possible interpretations from the Sanskrit original. Sant can mean holy, pure, or saintly, and Bani can mean the sound current, hymn, teaching, or Word. Ashram is a generic term used to describe a holy place of retreat, prayer, and service. Thus Sant Bani Ashram could be defined as a retreat place (Ashram) dedicated to the holy (Sant) sound (Bani) or Word of God. Master Kirpal Singh Ji once defined it to Russell Perkins as “a place where the teachings (Bani) of the Master (Sant) are put to work.” The work of the ashram is spiritual, whereas the school is dedicated to giving a sound all-around education in the context of and in support of a spiritual way of life. The governing body and the faculty of the Sant Bani School view the two as having distinct purposes which nonetheless are not exclusive of each other.

Newcomers to the Sant Bani School frequently have questions regarding the spiritual path. The Ashram’s theological position is that God does exist. At some point that Supreme Power (beyond gender) chose to become many from One. Utilizing the twin forces of sound and light, God first formed and now sustains many levels of creation. These currents of light and sound are the loving forces which give life to the universe and thus exist within every human being. They form a direct link back to God but most often lie dormant within, covered up by our day-to-day lives, personalities, etc. It is, however, every human’s birth-right to be put in touch with these twin inner forces of light and sound and to follow them back to God in this lifetime. A Master or Satguru is a spiritual teacher who, because s/he has done this, can put others in contact with the light and sound already existing within – and meditation then consists of nurturing and developing this connection with the Grace of God. The process of being connected to the light and sound by a living teacher is called initiation. This path is one of love, and does not ask that people abandon their religion or culture