Satsang

A Reader has asked me what my views on ‘Satsang’ are, and why it is so important to attend.

I believe that:

Satsang literally means the company of truth.

Satsang happens when a group of people get together and discuss, philosophical truths, or sing the praise of the Lord.

I believe that Satsang occurs even if two meet in silence and love, and speak not a word!

A Satsangi may be your mother, sister, friend, confidant, loved one…

The necessary requisite is that the meeting should be uplifting!

Let me digress a bit.

‘Dharma’ is popularly translated as ‘duty’ or ‘religion’

However the word enfolds a lot more.

My Dharma as a wife may not coincide with my Dharma as a mother or sister or an individual.

What I am trying to say is, while fulfilling my duty as a friend, I may be displeasing my relatives, or social obligations or myself… the list may be endless.

Also my dharma in every relationship, may be different to yours, because circumstances differ.

Again my dharma as householder differs from that of a renunciate.

Which is the right mode of conduct, then?

The choice and decision is difficult.

This confusion is called a ‘Dharam sankat’

This conflict sends people scurrying to psychiatrists.

In India we go to our Guru’s door-step or to Satsang.

No, this is not solely my opinion.

Listen to this:

Bin Satsang,vivek na hoye

Ram kripa bin sulabh na soye

The above couplet stems form ‘Ram Charit Maanas’ by Goswami Tulsidas.

It states that without Satsang, ‘vivek ‘ does not come.

Again ‘vivek’ people popularly translate as conscience.

In actual fact, vivek means the power to discriminate, within the framework of the right mode of conduct given a certain situation.

So let me repeat:

Bin Satsang vivek na hoye

Ram Kripa bin sulabh na soye.

The second line says that without the Grace of Shri Ram it is very difficult to obtain.

What? Both Satsang and its offspring ‘vivek’

So ,if one does not do satsang or go to Satsang, one does not obtain Vivek.

Without Vivek it sure is tough to live in this jungle we call life.