These movements assert that Sant Mat shares a lineage with Sikhism and contains elements of thought found in Hinduism, such as karma and reincarnation.
They further assert that Sant Mat also contains elements found in Sufism and has inspired and influenced a number of religious groups and organizations.
Contemporary Sant Mat movements claim to incorporate a personal and private path of spiritual development in the common tradition of mystics past and present.
[5] Widely accepted translations of the Indian term "Sant Mat" are "Teachings of the Saints" and "Path of the Masters".
In the Sanskrit language, the word 'Sant' means Master of the highest Order, and 'Mat' is a confirmed opinion or statement made by an adept after personal experience.
The foundation of this Science, therefore, is the result of a critical study, minute investigation, and the lifelong personal verification of facts based on practical experience of the Self in man.
Their teachings are distinguished theologically by inward loving devotion to a divine principle, and socially by an egalitarianism opposed to the qualitative distinctions of the Indian caste hierarchy and to the religious differences between Hinduism and Islam.
The Dayalbagh Agra lineage follow Shiv Dayal Singh - Salig Ram -Maharaj Sahab - Kamta Prasad Sinha- Anand Swarup - Gurcharan Das Mehta - Makund Behari Lal and recently (Since 2003 Prem Saran Satsangi.
[14] The Guru, who is a human being, has merged with the Sound Current in such a manner that he is a living manifestation of it (the Word made flesh).
[15] However, not just the Guru can achieve this, but all human beings are inherently privileged in this way [15] Beyond the two main tenets, Contemporary Sant Mat movements emphasize an ethical lifestyle and selfless service.
The five cardinal virtues tracked by the diary are Ahimsa or Nonviolence, Truthfulness, Chastity, love for all regardless of caste, creed, wealth, or intellectual attainments (i.e., Humility), and finally the maintenance of a strict Vegetarian diet.
[citation needed] Teachers of contemporary Sant Mat movements claim to teach a spiritual path which is intentionally easier than others described in the ancient scriptures as it requires nothing more than sitting quietly and looking and listening within.
This is called simran (repetition) and its primary function is to still the mind while remembering (or being connected to) the Guru via the mantra he provided.
[18] In contemporary Sant Mat movements, not everyone automatically qualifies for Initiation; many teachers require that prospective followers be spiritually “ready”.
The work of David C. Lane provides a partial catalogue of various sects related to the Radha Soami Satsang Beas and attempts to study their formation from a socio-economic point of view.
[1] The "Quan Yin Method" of meditation promoted though the spiritual teachings of Ching Hai, a former student of Thakar Singh, also has notable similarities to Sant Mat.
In the West, detailed indications and advice have been given by Edward Salim Michael in his book The Law of attention, Nada Yoga and the way of inner vigilance.