Those familiar with the word satsang typically think of it as a gathering for meditation and spiritual teachings. This is how it is structured, but it is so much more than this. Sitting in silence with an Awakened teacher and others devoted to Truth is one way to recognize the Truth of who we are.
The Sanskrit root of the word satsanga: Sat means “Truth” and sanga means “with a group of True People.” My teacher Poonjaji (Papaji ) described it this way: “Satsang means to live as Truth itself, which means to live as the Self, to live as Consciousness.”
The purpose of regular attendance at satsang is not to relax or feel good. It is not to “learn” something new you can adapt to your life. It is not to become recognized as someone “spiritual or special.” These may be side benefits, but should not be the reason you are there. Attend satsang to quiet your mind so you can discover who you are and who you are NOT.
If you think “I know who I am and what I am here for,” and associate this “knowing” with your body and the role this body is currently playing, you are mistaken. A “body oriented identity” is not the Truth of who you are. It is “part” of your mind’s reality, but definitely not your True Self. The good news is that what is TRUE about this subject is easily available to all, though we can only find it if we turn our attention within. Satsang helps us do this.
Satsang in daily life
In daily life our attention is usually focused outwardly, at our life experiences, our relationships and striving to meet our goals. Most of us think of ourselves as a unique individual with things to do, places to go and people to meet. We have a voice in our head that tells us what it thinks about every aspect of our physical life, ruminates about our history, worries about and plans our future. We give our power to this voice because it seems to know everything, and have the wisdom to guide us to the best possible choices. But when the choices of our mental voice do not work out as expected, we are left to wonder why it led us in that erroneous direction. Isn’t it taking us to the best possible life? No, it is not, because it is not as wise as it pretends to be. It can only take us to what it knows, and that knowledge is limited to conclusions it made about past input. The choices it now guides us to make keep us in a repetitive box, where we are somewhat comfortable, but get bored because too much repetition can inhibit growth. How do we get out of this box? One way is satsang, because satsang provides a different kind of guidance.
An Awakened teacher will show us new possibilities and lead us to them. Self-inquiry and the divine Grace available in a typical satsang will quiet mind’s limited voice so our True Self can become fully available and recognized. Putting our attention and trust in the consciousness of True Self is associating with Truth. When we choose to live by this guidance we bring satsang to the world as the consciousness of True Self.
Satsang in daily life
In daily life our attention is usually focused outwardly, at our life experiences, our relationships and striving to meet our goals. Most of us think of ourselves as a unique individual with things to do, places to go and people to meet. We have a voice in our head that tells us what it thinks about every aspect of our physical life, ruminates about our history, worries about and plans our future. We give our power to this voice because it seems to know everything, and have the wisdom to guide us to the best possible choices. But when the choices of our mental voice do not work out as expected, we are left to wonder why it led us in that erroneous direction. Isn’t it taking us to the best possible life? No, it is not, because it is not as wise as it pretends to be. It can only take us to what it knows, and that knowledge is limited to conclusions it made about past input. The choices it now guides us to make keep us in a repetitive box, where we are somewhat comfortable, but get bored because too much repetition can inhibit growth. How do we get out of this box? One way is satsang, because satsang provides a different kind of guidance.
An Awakened teacher will show us new possibilities and lead us to them. Self-inquiry and the divine Grace available in a typical satsang will quiet mind’s limited voice so our True Self can become fully available and recognized. Putting our attention and trust in the consciousness of True Self is associating with Truth. When we choose to live by this guidance we bring satsang to the world as the consciousness of True Self.