Satsangs? Are You Really Attending Satsangs or Get-Togethers
Just like the term "Yoga," which, since its introduction to the West, has metamorphosed into everything but what it truly signifies in Hindu scriptures and tradition, "Satsang" is the latest banal noun making the rounds on social media, stripped of its intrinsic spiritual import.
Today, in every nook and cranny, under the guise of "satsang," people gather to engage in activities such as singing hymns, bhajans, performing kirtans, and intellectualising and philosophising about so-called spiritual matters, which they audaciously term "satsang". Such spurious activities yield no meaningful results and, in many cases, cause severe harm to one's spiritual life. Paramahansa Yogananda, commenting on such gatherings, says, "...people who assemble in the name of the Lord and then chatter, or while outwardly praying think of something else, or mechanically go through the motions of a scared ritual without inwardly communing with God, will not be able to feel (God who) pervades creation." (pg. 9, Seeking God Together by Paramahansa Yogananda).
But what satsang really is? "...REAL Satsanga is with Sri Krishna through recitation of HIS Names," so says Swami Sivananda in His "Precepts for Practice" (pg. 15). In other words, being in the company of God is real satsang. However, unless one is Sri Tukaram Maharaj, Gorakkumbar, Nivruttinath, Dnyaneshwar, Sopan, or Muktabai, one is unlikely to attain even a glimpse of the Lord.
That is why, Sri Adi Sankaracharya has unequivocally pronounced in His Bhaja Govindam that, "By keeping the company of great Mahatmas...one attains liberation or freedom". And, Sri Tulasidas has said in His Sri Ramacharitamanas, "binu satsauga viveka na hoa...", that is, the intuition of wisdom does not come without having
Satsang. Very confidently, He says, "satasaugata muda maugala mala" (=even the worst rogues are changed into virtuous men only through satsang).
To wit, by being in the company of self-realised and liberated mahatmas, one derives the same spiritual benefits as Mirabai, Paramahansa Yogananda, and Swami Haridoss gained through their close association with God. But what if one lacks the rare good fortune of being in the exalted company of such spiritual giants? To this, Swami Sivananda assures us that "The books written by great persons WILL serve as Satsanga. You need not worry much about Satsanga." (pg. 15, Precepts for Practice by Swami Sivananda). By "great persons," considering the context in which it is said, He assuredly means "liberated souls" or "souls that have attained oneness with God," nothing less.
The obstinate question remains, nonetheless: can people who gather to sing bhajans, offer prayers, listen to talks or opinions from those who have casually skimmed articles, or accumulated second-hand information from Google and YouTube (a common practice among those who claim to have read widely) truly be said to be engaging in satsang or participating in a satsang? The unequivocal and logical answer to this question is, "No."
As we have seen, "satsang" is not merely a gathering held weekly or fortnightly where people converse casually, engage in highbrow discussions about God and spiritual life, or come together to express sentimental feelings or emotional fervour about God. Criticising this brand of "pseudo-satsang," Swami Sivananda says, "...Mere Vedantic gossiping for one hour... with a mixture of some idle, worldly talk, some politics, some scandal-mongering and backbiting, some silly GIGGLING, GUFFAW, and namby-pamby sentimental outpourings in VAGUE platitudes is labelled as Satsanga...There is NO elevation and spiritual progress." (pg. 38, Satsanga and Svadhyaya).
He goes on to say, "Merely listening to eloquent, valuable spiritual lectures will NOT do in the spiritual path. You will have to ACT according to THEM. You will have to give your WHOLE heart, mind and soul to PRACTICE. THEN ONLY will you have progress in the path," (pg. 43, Light, Power & Wisdom by Swami Sivananda)
Adding to the castigation, Mata Amritanandamayi has instructed: "It ISN'T enough to read ABOUT living spiritual life, or to HEAR about it, or to just TALK about it---you have to put it into practice... In the same way, it's NOT enough to just take part in SATSANGS, or to READ the SCRIPTURES. To experience the Truth, you HAVE to LIVE according to those words." (pgs. 273, 292, Eternal Wisdom Vol. 2)
In point of fact, "This Atman is NOT attained through MERE study of scriptures, nor though INTELLECTUAL understanding not through much HEARING of instructions from others," so says Mundaka Upanishad 3:2:3. Commenting on this verse, Swami Brahmananda says, "By committing them to memory and even by possessing the capacity to explan their literal and grammatical meanings, realisation of the Immutable is NOT possible." (pg. 94, The Supreme Knowledge). [Swamiji was a direct disciple of Swami Sri Sivananda Maharaj of Rishikesh])
Today, in every nook and cranny, under the guise of "satsang," people gather to engage in activities such as singing hymns, bhajans, performing kirtans, and intellectualising and philosophising about so-called spiritual matters, which they audaciously term "satsang". Such spurious activities yield no meaningful results and, in many cases, cause severe harm to one's spiritual life. Paramahansa Yogananda, commenting on such gatherings, says, "...people who assemble in the name of the Lord and then chatter, or while outwardly praying think of something else, or mechanically go through the motions of a scared ritual without inwardly communing with God, will not be able to feel (God who) pervades creation." (pg. 9, Seeking God Together by Paramahansa Yogananda).
That is why, Sri Adi Sankaracharya has unequivocally pronounced in His Bhaja Govindam that, "By keeping the company of great Mahatmas...one attains liberation or freedom". And, Sri Tulasidas has said in His Sri Ramacharitamanas, "binu satsauga viveka na hoa...", that is, the intuition of wisdom does not come without having
Satsang. Very confidently, He says, "satasaugata muda maugala mala" (=even the worst rogues are changed into virtuous men only through satsang).
The obstinate question remains, nonetheless: can people who gather to sing bhajans, offer prayers, listen to talks or opinions from those who have casually skimmed articles, or accumulated second-hand information from Google and YouTube (a common practice among those who claim to have read widely) truly be said to be engaging in satsang or participating in a satsang? The unequivocal and logical answer to this question is, "No."
As we have seen, "satsang" is not merely a gathering held weekly or fortnightly where people converse casually, engage in highbrow discussions about God and spiritual life, or come together to express sentimental feelings or emotional fervour about God. Criticising this brand of "pseudo-satsang," Swami Sivananda says, "...Mere Vedantic gossiping for one hour... with a mixture of some idle, worldly talk, some politics, some scandal-mongering and backbiting, some silly GIGGLING, GUFFAW, and namby-pamby sentimental outpourings in VAGUE platitudes is labelled as Satsanga...There is NO elevation and spiritual progress." (pg. 38, Satsanga and Svadhyaya).
Adding to the castigation, Mata Amritanandamayi has instructed: "It ISN'T enough to read ABOUT living spiritual life, or to HEAR about it, or to just TALK about it---you have to put it into practice... In the same way, it's NOT enough to just take part in SATSANGS, or to READ the SCRIPTURES. To experience the Truth, you HAVE to LIVE according to those words." (pgs. 273, 292, Eternal Wisdom Vol. 2)
In point of fact, "This Atman is NOT attained through MERE study of scriptures, nor though INTELLECTUAL understanding not through much HEARING of instructions from others," so says Mundaka Upanishad 3:2:3. Commenting on this verse, Swami Brahmananda says, "By committing them to memory and even by possessing the capacity to explan their literal and grammatical meanings, realisation of the Immutable is NOT possible." (pg. 94, The Supreme Knowledge). [Swamiji was a direct disciple of Swami Sri Sivananda Maharaj of Rishikesh])
Coupled with satsang, which serves as the fuel that powers the vehicle of life, one must seriously engage in daily rigorous sadhana, akin to driving the vehicle towards the destination of self-realisation. There is little point in filling the tank with the unleaded petrol of satsang if one is unwilling to engage the gear of concentration, propelling the vehicle safely towards its goal.
Avoiding the distractions of friends, family, colleagues, strangers, and enemies within the vehicle of life, and averting one's gaze from the temptations of alluring sights outside it, one must diligently, punctiliously, and punctually drive on until one beholds the Beloved, who comes to receive the seeker just as He did when Sri Tukaram Maharaj was ready to flee this duḥkhālaya.
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