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What is Satsang?
2 Dec 2002
The first questions that arises in many new sadhaka (students in Sanskrit) minds is ‘what exactly is Satsang?’ What’s so special about it?’ Excellent questions! The term Satsang is very powerful and important to understand. In Sanskrit, it literally means ‘the company of Truth’, also ‘the company of saints and devotees; a gathering of devotees for the purpose of chanting, meditation, and listening to scriptural teachings or reading’.
In India, it is understood that Satsang is not an ordinary gathering for ‘teacher-student’ exchange of information. It is not a classroom with lectures given, intellectualism, debate, discussion or a place of endless chatter amongst the students. It is more likened to a rare and sacred experience in Church or Temple, a direct and personal experience of God for and within each student. Satsang is a sanctified, holy place for the mind to rest and the spirit to open up to receive Grace through the mirror of Self, the Guru. Swami Muktanada has said that it is a discipline itself, the highest and most fruitful yoga, and when approached correctly by the spiritual aspirant, can in time, bring the seeker to Liberation.
Satsang is done both with and without a physical Sadhu (Monk, Holy Being) present. Since Siddhas (Saints) and Sadhu’s have transcended time and space, any gathering of sincere devotees of God for Satsang is blessed with the presence of these Holy Beings, transmitting the Grace of God for all those open to it. These Beings, or Teachers, are also called Gurus by those spiritual aspirants who follow the ancient wisdom traditions of India.
Kabir, a famous Poet-Saint of India, wrote, karo satsang gurudeva se, “keep the company of the Guru”. The word ’Guru’ can best be explained as the ‘Guru-Principle‘, the Grace bestowing power of God. To merge with the Guru-Principle of Grace is to become perfect within one’s own Self. The Guru is truly the mirror of your own divinity, and the means to realizing it. In Satsang, the sadhaka comes to have this awareness and experience of oneness of Self, the sense and feeling of purno’ham, “I am perfect”, or “I am complete, I am free”. The mere presence of this Master Teacher is a catalyst. Catalysts change and transform substances without themselves changing. Swami Muktananda says of satsang, “God becomes one with a person on who has drunk the nectar of satsang, who has great love for satsang, and who through satsang has attained the kingdom of the supreme state of Liberation”.
How do we approach Satsang to reap its blessings? Baba Muktananda advises us in his writings that being with the Guru is a great art, taking great courage, intelligence and contentment. He says, “Although laziness, desires and lack of faith may besiege you, you should never ask for anything. The question of asking should not even arise, for if you ask for something, it will take you far away from the Guru. Stay with him, (her), requesting nothing. Do not wonder when you will attain the Truth. Pray, meditate, and wait patiently with love. Learn to forget yourself in meditation. Satsang is very mysterious. If you simply stay in the Guru’s company with great care, the right time will eventually come, then you will attain perfection.” And Solomae Sananda says, "When you focus on external wants and desires, your experience becomes a lack of them. When you focus on what you already have within yourself, your experience becomes abundance in all things."
So, give up the desire to become something, become simple. Do not demand and negotiate! Nurture a pure heart and inner faith, and the ego’s delusion of separateness and duality will flee at the mere sight of the Master Teacher. When your perfect vision, (with pure, inner vision) meet the eyes of the true Guru, you will feel an inner throb, and see and even merge with the reflection of your own Self. It is true, it is true, dear ones.
There is a story told by Ram Tirth. A rich man built a palace of mirrors for anyone to come in and look at himself. A truly enlightened person came in and looked around an saw his/her reflections and thought, “It is I who exist in infinite forms”, and was very happy with this contemplation of Unity Consciousness. Later, a dog came in. Bewildered by the thousands of images of dogs staring at him, he became terrified and barked and barked. He barked and barked so much, that at last he dropped down dead. Likewise, the unprepared sadhaka in the presence of the Guru, will be shown the mirror of himself, and the Guru, free of all duality, is a perfect mirror since he has erased himself into God.
The Guru has become completely free of thoughts, is supremely stainless and tranquil, one who has transcended the Void, and is firmly established in the state of Witness. He/She is a candle of eternal flame, a lake with no waves. Although retaining personality, the Guru is mysterious and unpredictable, with no other master than God. As the sincere sadhaka begins to understand the Guru as mirror, and comes closer and closer, he/she will show you your Self. The inner divine vibration or pulsation of the Spanda, the cosmic throb, explodes within, all negative feelings dissolve, releasing love, understanding, peace and discrimination. Ones who have experienced this proclaim, “I am God!”, “I am the Absolute!”, “I am pure Consciousness, the Source, Bliss!”, “I am That which exists forever, the infinite vastness of empty and fullness!” When a person attains the Self, then all the virtues, discipline, blessings of abundance and divine qualities come and take up residence within him/her naturally. Aloneness, separateness and individuality dissolves, both death and fear of death are annihilated. Death and darkness being Ego, is at last conquered. With all this comes boundless compassion, love and devotion to the mirror. Love for the Guru will never leave you, for he/she is your very own Soul, your Self, your very own heart.
~ Devi ma
copyright IBASI 2002-5
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