True Satsang
Satsang is probably one of the most misunderstood concepts in modern-day spirituality. In today’s world of consumerism, when people are on the constant look-out for quick fix solutions to their destructive way of life, any form of satsang comes as a reprieve. But the question that every true spiritualist must incessantly ask is whether he in truly indulging in the correct form of satsang; for in today’s day and age the term satsang has been grossly manipulated and deviated to suit the tastes of capitalist organizations that are bent upon making a quick buck out of people’s qualms. So indeed what does true satsang constitute?
Satsang literally means good company. So in reality, when a group of like-minded people come together in a bid to meditate and reflect upon the intricacies of life, it becomes a satsang. A satsang can constitute anything, from simple meditative exercises to chanting. Even varied forms of entertainment can be included in a satsang. However these art-forms should necessarily lead the seeker to a greater truth; for the realization of that ultimate truth is the real motive of satsang. True satsang never takes the form of any random social gathering. It is not a place to congregate and discuss your business goals. Neither is it a place to try and make new friends; or new enemies for that matter! Satsang is simply a collective effort to try and know the reality behind the illusion of life; try and find the true gist of life; an endeavor to find the true self. Hence every individual who attends the satsang must attend it with the sole motive of self-realization.
So if satsang is ultimately centered on the ‘self’, then why is it necessarily an activity that is carried out in a group? The answer to that question lies in the fact that man on his own accord can hardly accomplish anything. The mind of the average person is fickle and hence is easily deviated from the main goal. Hence to prevent this, people congregate in mass to try and reach a common end. This facilitates many different factors at the same time. When people worship, pray or meditate in mass, their energies get congregated and amplified. Owing to such amplification it creates a very strong energy field amongst the people who are participating in the satsang. Thus within that energy field, each and every individual starts to reach the same truth inwardly. Owing to the presence of such a potent energy field, the mind remains steady and resolute. Thus there is little interference from within the individual’s own self. This necessarily makes him more receptive to the knowledge and the realization that is to be gained from that respective form of meditation, chanting or prayer.
In the end, a person who regularly practices satsang can see its progressive effect on his own life. All the human weaknesses of despair, regret and desperation slowly start to wilt away as the seeker remains constantly in connection with the supreme divine entity. The constant energy field that surrounds the seeker in his regular satsang induces a great change in him. In the end he is left with no insecurities and no fear in his life, for through the power of true satsang, he starts to experience God within himself. Thus does satsang ultimately lead him towards his own inner kingdom of divinity; as the seeker exalts in supreme ecstasy and ultimate joy…
Chapter 1. “True Satsang” in Audio
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Tags: article, dissertation, satsang
admin | 
December 23, 2009 12:33 am
