What is the meaning of Satsangham?
Sat (Truth) + Sangham (Company). Means to seek the company of THE truth. Truth can only be one, so as the Satguru or Parabrahma, which is only one. The concept of oneness is termed as Advaita Vedanta. The mind is modulated to see one in all and all in one. What's the one that we see? We see the truth. We see God as one and the one God that dwells in all beings. Once this level of moderation is achieved, one overcomes evil thoughts, hatred, jealousy, anger, lust etc towards another. One promotes love and easily accepts the differences between each other.
The great Shankaracharya has given clues that form the steps to Samaadhi (enlightenment). It forms simple yet definitive steps. Many Gurus and spiritual masters teach to us that desire (moha) should be dropped and there are zillions of people trying to practice dropping of the desires. Unfortunately only a few succeed.
Shankara knows better and this is Krishna's approach in Gita as well. Moha or desire is not like a ball that you catch and drop. It is like a habit or addiction. We can call it conditioning. Nobody has quit smoking by throwing a packet of cigarette. The individual when ready to quit, throws the packets. and he/she only quits when he/she changes and conditions oneself. Similarly, no body quits drinking by breaking a bottle of Johny Walker whiskey. Again, once the changes in the individual happen, he is ready to throw away the bottles. The change to get rid of a habit or addiction has to happen at the level of the personality and outlook of the individual concerned. Or else, after throwing the cigarette or the bottle, the individual would head back to the shop to purchase another.
Shankara therefore starts at the level of an individual and emphasizes the importance of Satsang as the starting point. Satsang is similar to right company. We all know that for advancement of our career we need the right company. I as an accountant socialize with other fellow accountants. We listen to talks and interact. We come back to our towns and apply that knowledge in our practice. There are conferences in every topic around the country and people come for developing better understanding their field of interest. There is no reason to get attached or hooked to these conference; there is no need to get attached to these conventions.
Similarly, in the field of spiritualism, satsang should lead to nissang (anasakti or non-attachment). This is so significant and is worth pondering over. Basically, Shakara here is defining what satsang is. Any company that leads to non-attachment is satsang. Conversely, if it does not lead to non-attachment, then it is not satsang. This is immensely helpful in finding the right Guru. This is just one simple formula. If a Guru tries to bind you down and is producing attachment, he is not the right Guru. A guru who is simply pointing his fingers to the direction you should go and is showing you the path to non-attachment (anasakthi or nissang) is the right Guru for you or me.
What is satsang and how does it work? The Guru or the right company encourages you or me to bring awareness to our lives. This company of awareness is ultimately the right company or the true satsang. The awareness that every action occurs at the periphery and nothing happens at the center is the starting point. Day by day, it becomes obvious that the natural state of being is non-attachment. There is never a connection between me the center and I the periphery. And this realization of anasakti or non-attachment.
If a Guru promises you that he will show you heaven, he will awaken your kundalini Sakti for a certain amount of fees, he will grant you happiness in life, prosperity in business, a good family life, what so ever which is material by nature, please be aware that such Gurus are not Satguru (True Guru). They are merely binding you down and producing attachments. Unfortunately, in today's fast moving world, the society seeks the feet of such Gurus. When the Guru grants 'magical' boons with their magical stick, temples are built for them, idols of them are placed. On the other hand, when the gets into a scandal or shows signs of worldly attachments and desires, their fame is washed down the drain and devotees turn away from them. These followers have failed to realize the true meaning and the true essence of a Guru. Please realize that this person is not even a Guru in the first place. You have been merely blinded and now you have been awakened by such unfavorable events. Please seek the true Guru, i.e. the Satguru!
Krishna does talk about abhyas (practice) yoga and he lays a lot of emphasis on this yoga. But we have to know what have to be practised. We cannot and should not try to practice non-attachment, because it is not an acquired phenomenon, neither can it be forced or taught by someone to follow; non-attachment is our default status, it is the natural state of all beings. All we have to do id REALISE it. But practice is required in bringing our awareness to it. The mind likes to get attached to the periphery and keep us busy there. Practice is needed in bring it to the center and keeping it there. Acts will still continue, but will continue with awareness. All techniques of meditation and all modes of Satsang try to make this happen. And once it becomes the steady state, it becomes hard to get attached or detached. For this a proper guru is essential.
It is also important to realize that both attachment and detachment happen at the periphery and that effort is needed for both. To come close to someone needs effort and similarly effort is needed to hate someone. Non-attachment does not require an effort; it is simply realization of our natural state of being. And once it happens, it produces qualitative changes in life. There may not be any changes obvious to someone watching from outside. Krishna still eats food and drinks water. He still plays tricks like anyone else, but there is qualitative difference in him and someone else doing the same thing. Krishna is established in the center, and all acts for him are happening at the periphery. There is no possibility of any attachment.
Satsang leads to non-attachment and in simple terms Satsang is living life with awareness; satsang is spending time with the center and watching the actions at the periphery as a witness. Any company that promotes this to happen is the right company. Shankaracharya truly has taken the gist of Gita and put it in a formula for us here and it is worth spending some time on understanding these gems of Bhaja Govindam.
Below is an extract of the Bhaja Govindam for all of us to ponder upon. Take time, read it, understand it and realize the true meaning.
Satsangatve Nissangatvam
Nissangatve Nirmohatvam
Nirmoatvam Nishchalattvam
Nishcalattvam Jiivanmuktih
From Satsangha, comes non-attachment; from non-attachment comes freedom from delusion, which leads to self-settlement. From self-settlement comes Jivan Mukti (liberation).
Excellent explanation
ReplyDeleteNo words to say anything
ReplyDeleteBeautiful explanation of sanghatvam and nissangatvam.
ReplyDeleteAll the "Karma" or causes which are done by us are under the influence of "Manasu" i.e heart and if our heart is controlled and consistent then it will lead us to Enlightenment.
ReplyDeleteSatsangatva also means "good company".
ReplyDeleteTrue real explanation
ReplyDeleteGurave namaha
Very Good explanation. Jai Gurudev,
ReplyDeleteGreat explanation.
ReplyDeleteInka konchem clear ga cheppagalar 4 lines
Deletesuper...thanks !
ReplyDeletePeople please translate little clear
ReplyDeleteI was little weak
4 lines
DeleteTrying hard to get meaning,
ReplyDeleteExplanation opened my mind
Satsanga:
ReplyDeleteShloka 9
Bhaja Govindam Bhaja Govindam
(this is from http://cmtcbhajagovindam.blogspot.com/)
As reiterated in earlier verses, we need to learn to detach ourselves from the worldly pleasures. Vedanta says using Pratipaksha Bhavana to learn to detach ourselves. But this is easier said than done. Philosophy say don’t be carried away by lust, but seek Govind. But this is a difficulty experienced by all Philosophy seekers. Adi Shankaracharya says, philosophers should come up with methods by which the seeker is able to “walk this path”. Otherwise it becomes an impractical utopia. How does one who is enjoying all worldly pleasures all of sudden go to living a recommended life? For this Shankaracharya gives a simple ‘ladder of progress” by which the climber can comfortably reach the highest reaches of perfection.
First Step in the ladder - Satsang - In the company of the good ot truth, Sat. Our very existence is full of temptations. Lets compare our lust and passion to a fort. We can build a good one in our intellect. But how good is the fort, can it protect you against all the worldly pleasures which are like the enemy waiting outside the fort to attack you. Shankaracharya says the object fascination and enchantment is so powerful that an individual seeker cannot by himself fight it. In order to give him more strength and courage he recommends Satsang. Company of the good with good thoughts. Those who are devotees of the Lord and are themselves seekers of the highest. This is to protect him from the rising waves of passion. Now with such a congregation of good people he can build a fortress that can protect him from the magic world outside.
Second Step in the ladder - Nissangatvam - Detachment. With the influence of good people, the mind develops a secret of detachment. Everyone talking about seeking the highest. We all know its the mind that puts value to the objects. Once the mind realizes that one needs to develop detachment to the objects, the person is at the second step in the ladder.
Third Step - Nirmohatvam - Once you are detached, Because of detachment you attain a state of Nirmohatvam which is delusion of the mind. When the mind realizes that these inert objects are all part of moha (delusion), then these objects dont exist anymore in the mind.
Fourth step: Nischalatattvam - Immutable reality. When you extinguish your vasanas, then your mind starts seeing the Immutable reality.
Last Step: Jivan Mukti - When the experience of immutable reality is more established in one, then he is said to have attained Jivan Mukti or liberated in life.
On the contrary, versus 62 and 63 of Chapter 2 in Bhagavad Gita refers to the ladder of downfall. While concentrating on objects of the senses a person develops attachment to the sense objects. From attachment desires are born, from desire anger arises. From Anger delusion occurs, from delusion bewilderment of memory, after forgetfulness of memory the loss of spiritual intelligence and losing spiritual intelligence one perishes.
Bhagavad Geeta, Chapter 2, Verse 62-63
ध्यायतो विषयान्पुंसः संगस्तेषूपजायते ।
संगात्संजायते कामः कामात्क्रोधोऽभिजायते ॥
क्रोधाद्भवति सम्मोहः सम्मोहात्स्मृतिविभ्रमः ।
स्मृतिभ्रंशाद् बुद्धिनाशो बुद्धिनाशात्प्रणश्यति ॥
dhyāyato viṣayān puḿsaḥ
sańgas teṣūpajāyate
sańgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ
kāmāt krodho ‘bhijāyate
dhyayatah—while contemplating; visayan—sense objects; pumsah—of the person; sangah—attachment; tesu—in the sense objects; upajayate—develops; sangat—attachment; sanjayate—develops; kamah—desire; kamat—from desire; krodhah—anger; abhijayate—becomes manifest.
TRANSLATION
While contemplating the objects of the senses, a person develops attachment for them, and from such attachment lust develops, and from lust anger arises.
krodhad bhavati sammohah
sammohat smrti-vibhramah
smrti-bhramsad buddhi-naso
buddhi-nasat pranasyati
Meaning: From anger, delusion arises, and from delusion confusion of memory. When memory is confused, intelligence is lost, and when intelligence is lost, there occurs the fall of man.
With good alliance, bad alliance goes away;
ReplyDeletewith bad alliance gone, delusion goes away;
with absence of delusion, there is non-separation from truth;
with non-separation from truth, emerges liberation.