The Importance Of Satsung

Before we speak of the importance of Satsang, Guruji explained the meaning of the word Satsang, which he derives as follows:

Sachi Baaton Ka Sang

The company of truthful words (or truthful conversation)

– in other words, a compilation or gist of the true facts of this world as well as the spiritual world. According to our Guruji, He emphasizes Satsang as far more superior to Katha or even Keertan.

Reading a Katha, or Holy Book, or performing “Keertan” (singing the name of the Lord) is very good and healthy for the soul, but it is Satsang that actually opens the eyes of a devotee towards questions like:

• What is the aim of mankind?
• Why are we in this world?
• Since we are humans and more superior to the remaining 83,99,999 different types of life in this world, what is our prime duty?
• The difference between human and other forms of life is the presence of conscience in a human being, so are we actually making use of that conscience?

All these queries and questions crop up within us as and when we start reading holy books and doing keertans or any other spiritual activity, but it is Satsang, and only Satsang, which can answer all these questions.

More than listening to Satsang, it is important to imbibe or digest what is being said at a Satsang. Guruji tells us a small tale to prove His point:

There was once a thug who was on his deathbed, but his soul would just not part from his body, and he was thus suffering. He had four sons who came to him and asked him what his problem was. The thug replied that if his sons listened to two points of his, he could die peacefully, to which his sons agreed and promised to follow.

The two points were:

1. Never go to any temple and visit a saint.
2. Never listen to any Satsang whatsoever.

The sons promised to do the above, and the thug passed away. A few weeks later, these four sons managed to perform a major robbery at the palace of the king and were running away with the palace authorities at their heels, so all four sons ran off in different directions.

One of the sons was running when he saw a temple in front of him where a saint was giving a discourse. Remembering his promise made to his father, he closed his eyes and ears and started running when he stepped on a nail. This was very painful, but he had to stop to remove the nail, or else he could not run further. To remove the nail, he had to remove his fingers from his ears, and by doing so, he heard only two points of that Satsang (discourse) which were:

• If a devi or devta (demi-god) ever takes form in this world, it will never throw a shadow as it does not have the “earth” quality in it.
• The same devi or devta will always be about one and a half feet above the ground.

These are the two points which the son heard and thought that he did nothing wrong in hearing them, as to him, these points made no meaning. After removing the nail, he ran away.

A few more weeks passed, and the spies of the king found out that it was these four sons who had performed the robbery at the palace. One of the spies disguised himself as Devi Maata and came in the middle of the night to the four sons’ house, behaving as if she was giving them darshan. She told them that she knew they had performed a major robbery but had not given her share as promised by them.

The sons replied that they were planning to increase their share to Devi Maata as their robbery was really of a huge amount, but they were just waiting for the king’s spies and authorities to cool down their hunt for the robbers.

Just at that moment, the fourth son entered and saw this person in the form of Devi Maata. Suddenly he remembered the words of the saint he had heard while running away from the authorities and wondered why that saint would lie and what his selfish motive could be. So there must be some truth in his words. He saw that the form of Devi Maata had a shadow and its feet were implanted on the ground, both totally opposite of what that saint had said. Seeing this, the son took his sword and killed that form, only to find out that it was just a spy in the form of Devi Maata and not an actual Devi Maata.

That’s when he revealed his experience to his brothers, and from that day, the four brothers realized that two sentences of a Satsang saved their lives. Most importantly, he remembered and digested what he had heard, which means that Satsang is indeed the food of our soul, and they spent the rest of their lives listening to and giving Satsang.

This is just a small anecdote to show the importance of Satsang. According to Guruji, you do not have to be a great speaker to do Satsang, and you do not need to have 50 or 20 people to do Satsang. Even if you are two or three people, you must listen as well as do Satsang. Or even if you are alone, you still have 13, that is, five Gyanendriyas, five Karmendriyas, mind, soul, and ego. So one can take all these 13 and do Satsang; in other words, a man can take each sense and explain to himself the importance of that sense and whether he is actually making the best use of that sense.

One who has realized the Lord within himself and who loves all other beings around him with equality is, in true words, a great soul. To be in the company of such a soul is itself Satsang. Guruji says:

Jab Jiv Ke Karodo Janam Ke Bhagya Udai Hote Hai,
To Satsang Ki Prapti Hoti Hai

When the fortune of millions of lifetimes arises for a being,
only then does one attain the company of the truth (Satsang)

When the good deeds of our past crores of lives are aroused, then only we have the privilege of attending Satsangs. By attending Satsangs, a person’s whole nature changes. The devil becomes a saint. Shri Valmiki was a good example. He was a dacoit who, with the help of Satsang, changed into a sage. He wrote the Ramayan. If he, being a dacoit, changed, then we are just ordinary people.

Satsang is the first step of Bhakti. With Satsang, our minds always get good thoughts. In the Ramayan, Shri Ram told the following words to Shabari:

Pratham Bhakti Santan Kar Sanga,

The first form of devotion is the company of saints

meaning the first step in Bhakti is the company of the sages and saints. This, in other words, means Satsang. With Satsang, one gets out of the darkness of attachments, ego, lust, and anger. Once the light arises within one’s mind, then he can recognize good from bad, right from wrong. Many have changed due to Satsang, and there can be no difference in opinion about this.

By the law of nature, anything has to show its effect on its surroundings. While the sun is setting, the whole sky has a different color. Similarly, when a new flower has blossomed, the air has its fragrance around it. It goes the same way with humans also. Guruji says:

Jaisa Aan Vaisa Maan

As is the honor, so is the respect

That is, as you shall eat, so shall you think. If you are in the company of bad people, their influence on you shall surely be there. Similarly, if you are in the company of good people, their influence on you shall surely be there.

Try it, Guruji says, and you will surely see the difference in yourself. The company of holy men is itself a mobile tirth sthan, in which people of all kinds benefit.

Guruji tells a story: At the Ganges during the Kumbh Mela, once many saints and holy men came and had their holy bath. All of them left except one. He stayed back for no particular reason and just used to sit on the banks of the Ganges every day and meditate. One day, he saw a flock of black birds coming to the banks of the Ganges and saw them all rolling in the dust of the banks. What surprised him was that after they rolled themselves in the dust, they became white. He could not stop himself from asking those birds how this happened. Then the leader of the flock spoke out to him. He said that throughout the year, people come to the Ganges to take a bath and wash their sins out here, which makes these birds black. During the Kumbh Mela, when the holy men come, the saints come, the mahamunis come, then when they go back, the dust of their feet is left at the banks of the Ganges. Then these birds come to the banks and roll themselves in that dust to make themselves pure and clean like before. Saying all this, the flock of birds flew away.

In the same way, one can wash away all their sins by going to Satsangs. You feel an internal peace; your soul feels happy on the day you have attended some Satsang. Your internal light is lit, and the darkness of attachments and ego fades away. Kabir Dasji says: Till the time we are in any Satsang, we remember to take the name of the Lord, and it is only those moments of our day that are valuable and were spent correctly. All other hours spent away from remembering the Lord are just wasted away. In the Ramayan, it is said:

Bade Bhagya Paaye Satsanga,
Bin Prayaas Hoye Bav Banga Bade
Bhagya Paaye Satsanga,
Bin Prayaas Hoye Bav Banga

Great fortune leads to the attainment of Satsang (the company of the wise),
Without effort, the ocean of worldly existence is crossed

Meaning that by going for Satsangs, a man can cross the ocean of life without having to struggle at all. The amount of happiness one gets by listening to Satsangs cannot be compared to any other happiness, even to the one of meditating for a thousand years. It is said:

Tap Kevarsh Hazaar Ho,
Satsang Ki Gadi Ek,
To Bhi Nahi Barabari,
Shukdev Kiya Vivek

Even a thousand years of austerity cannot equal a moment of Satsang (company of the wise). This is the discerning wisdom of Shukdev

Guruji says that in this world, not everybody is happy, BUT it is us who make ourselves unhappy due to our wants. As we shall think, so shall we become. By listening to Satsangs, we shall start thinking in the right way and hence eventually be happy. Not only shall we be happy ourselves, but we shall make everyone happy around us.

Tulsidasji has said that

Bin Satsang Vivek Na Hoyi,
Ram Kripa Bin Sulabh Na Sohi

Without Satsang (the company of the wise), discernment (Vivek) does not arise,
And without Ram’s grace, even that is not easily attained

“Without Satsang, one cannot have conscience, and Satsang is not possible without the grace of God.” We are the children of God. Every life that we take, our sanskar, i.e., our moral ethics, are carried forward with us. Guruji says that man is very pure and hence he is a part of God himself; he is His child. He may live and die and again take birth, but eventually, he is God’s child and His part only. But then why is it that we have the need for Satsang if we are His children? Guruji asks. He further says that along with our moral ethics that we inherit from past lives, we bring forward ego, anger, lust, and greed also. They do not leave us at all, even after death. Guruji says that without leaving these things behind, our soul shall never get pure, and hence our chances of getting moksha are very faint. God takes into His fold only those souls which are completely free from all these diseases and are absolutely pure.

In this short life of ours, we have been blessed to have the guidance and love of our dear Guruji. Then why can’t we also be free from all sorts of attachments? He has come here only for us, as our doctor, to relieve us of all our pains and give us a chance to meet the Lord.

Dear friends, Guruji says that without vivek, we shall not be able to meet the Lord.

How shall we know that Vivek has aroused within us ??

Guruji asks. He further says that the day vivek is aroused within our body, we shall experience vairag, i.e., we shall feel like a vagabond, one without any sort of attached feelings for anyone or anything. It’s not that we shall leave our house, family, and go into the forest or stop looking after our responsibilities. In fact, we shall stay within family life, within our social life, and yet not have any emotional attachment with anything, not have the craving for any material things. Having no MOHA itself means vairag. One should thank God for whatever is given to him and should keep it as the property of God and not oneself. We should take the good and the bad given to us as the fruits of our past lives. We should not take the credit of any deed done by us onto ourselves, but we should place the deed itself at our Guru’s feet. Only then we shall understand that vivek has aroused within us. Guruji says without vivek, we shall not get vairag, and without vairag, there is no moksh. Guruji says that we should be like the bank manager who is working for the bank and does not feel the bank to be his own. If a customer deposits hundreds of thousands in his bank, he should not go home and celebrate, for he is only working for the bank, and the money still belongs to the customer. And also, if a customer withdraws all that he has in the bank, he should not go home and mourn, for the money never actually belonged to him. We should be like that bank manager who is very indifferent to the money coming in and out of the bank, for he is only doing his job of taking care that the money goes to the correct owner.

Dear friends, Guruji says that indifference is called vairag. When vairag is there and vivek is aroused, then God is very, very near to us; there is no doubt about that. He says that Satsang is something that we should not only listen to but also practice it, feel the actual meaning of every word that we hear. Like when we do business, we enjoy the profits more than the actual capital, let us all enjoy the profits of our dear Guruji’s Satsang. Let us feel the weight of each word spoken by him, and of course, let us all not let Him feel hurt by any of our acts.

Satsang has great importance, which many of us do not understand. Even Shivji asked for this boon that he should always be able to do Satsang. If it didn’t have its importance, then do you think Shivji would have asked for it?? He says,

Baar Baar Var Maanghoon
Harsh Dev Sri Rang Pad Saroj
Anupayini Bhakti Sadaa Satsang

Again and again, I seek a boon with joy:
The lotus feet of Sri Ranga,
Unwavering devotion, and the company of the wise (Satsang)

The very first example Guruji gives is of a cow. He says that a cow eats grass at various places. Many people even beat her up and shoo her away. She drinks water, may it be clean or dirty, at any place that she likes. Her master may give her food, or she may go out and feed herself at any place, but in the end, she comes and gives her master pure and clean milk. Her calf at times is deprived of the milk which is given to the master, but she still has no grudge against anyone. Similarly, Guruji says that a saint goes place to place giving out knowledge of various holy books, preaching to people in simple languages which they understand. He says what if he starts speaking in Sanskrit, would you all understand him? Never. In fact, you would get up and go away, saying that he is wasting your time. That is why it is important for the saints to translate and preach to the people in the best possible layman’s language that they could understand. Guruji says that we are like the cow’s master who takes the milk of the cow, which is what he calls Satsang. But during that time, there is certainly some message in it hidden for each one of us. We should try and grasp that message, try and understand what is being told to us, and follow that message. Only when we listen to the saints and the holy men shall we be able to get the hidden messages from God.

We have always been listening about Satsang, and at every meeting of ours, I insist on Satsang. With the help of Satsang, many thieves, and many dacoits have changed. Valmiki changed, then who are we? I am sorry, Guruji says, if anyone has felt bad, but we are great thieves ourselves. We enjoy what God has given us but fail to thank Him in equal ways. With God’s great kripa, we have attained the life of a human. We can never get this body by bribing God. We can never get two extra breaths by paying money at the time of death. When can we get this human form?

Kabhunke Kari Karuna Nar Dehi,
Dett Ise Binu Hetu Snehi

Out of compassion, the Lord grants the human body,
He bestows it lovingly without any selfish reason

Meaning that whenever God is pleased with us and has kripa and daya on us, only then shall He give us this form. Bina hetu means without taking any sort of bribe or money etc. from us. He gives us this body so that we can erase our past lives’ sins. He gives us the chance to come out of the life-death cycle. We are thieves because He has given us this body, free electricity. Has anyone paid for the sunlight? Free water, the rivers are flowing. Do we pay for the water? Do we pay to see the beautiful scenery of nature? No, everything God has given us is free of charge. In fact, nothing ever goes wrong with His resources, no power failure, no water shortage, etc. Before we are born itself, the supply of milk is there. We have many people to look after our smallest needs. Everything is free of charge. Then tell me, my friends, aren’t we all thieves? After all that He does for us, can’t we say a thank you to Him? In fact, during the aarti, we say:

Tera Tujhko Arpan Kya Lage Mera,
Tan Bhi Tera Man Bhi Tera,
Dhan Bhi Tera, Kya Lage Mera

I offer to You what is Yours; what do I have that is mine?
The body is Yours, the mind is Yours, the wealth is Yours;
what do I have that is mine?

And there, only if some babaji comes and asks for some food, then we shall abuse him that he is begging and cannot work for his food and shoo him away. One minute in the aarti, we say that everything is yours, and the other minute, we can’t share even some food. Isn’t that cheating with God? Only through Satsang do we get the realization, which is most important.

How One Must Take to Any Satsang

According to Guruji, the first step towards any spiritual action is humanity. The very fact that the devotees have taken the effort to spare their time and come for a Satsang shows that humanity is slowly developing within.

The next step is one’s feelings or BHAAV towards saints and Gurus, which also makes one decide that he should make an effort to attend the Satsang of that particular Saint or Guru.

The third step is one’s SHRADDHA at the Satsang and how well he listens to that Satsang and makes an effort to understand what is being preached.

The final step, and arguably the step where most of us falter, is to live as per the teachings and Satsang that we hear. Only hearing is not enough; understanding is just one step further, but again, not enough. The total effect and fruits of Satsang only materialize when one takes a few points from that Satsang, makes them his principle in life, and lives on those principles so rigidly as if his life depends on it, no matter what situation comes up.

If we can live up to this, then it will not be long before we realize how close God is to us, as is rightly said by Guruji:

Dharm Ka Marg, Sant Ki Paudi,

The path of righteousness (Dharma) is the stairway of the saints

Guruji says:

ONLY READING THE HOLY BOOKS SHALL NOT HELP.
READ AND FOLLOW THE PREACHINGS, ONLY THEN IT IS OF USE TO READ.

Our body is made up of five elements: water, fire, air, earth, and space. Without even one of these, our body is useless. In spite of this, we feel proud of things done by our body, saying, “I did this, I did that,” etc. Till the time we don’t leave our ego, we shall not be able to be complete humans, leave alone anything else.

It is very difficult to get this human form. We cannot get it because we have done great donations and charities in our past lives. Guruji says there is no guarantee that we shall get this same form if we do maximum charities in this life. We shall even be a dog in the next life, but shall get good caretakers who may take us even in airplanes, give us soft beds to sleep in, etc. Then when shall we get this form? Only through the GRACE OF OUR ALMIGHTY.

We should not spend this human form on unproductive things. Why waste such precious time? Guruji says this form is given to us so that we can do good karmas and get out of the life-death cycle. He says whenever we take the sharan of any Guru, our account of our past bad deeds is opened. Our Guru helps us to do certain good karmas whereby our bad deed account starts getting credited and hence reduced. Just like any bank loan account, our bad deed account also should be paid back, and only then our good karmas account starts. Friends, He says why should we wait for our old age to come before we start this account? Earlier, the better.

Guruji further explains: Just like when we get our salary at the beginning of the month, we keep three accounts. One for saving, one for our expenditures, and one for donations. Similarly, our karmas should also be allocated. We should occasionally give certain of our karmas to our Guru, saying, “Baba, this is for you. Please deposit it in our old bad deed account.” This will eventually bring our balance to nil. This happens over a long period of time. But I feel that whatever we do should be placed at the feet of our dear Guru. For it was His blessings that even made you think of doing anything. Without Him, probably, we would be sitting up late at some disco, wasting away whatever little time we have. This does not mean that we should abandon all our wishes and sit with a mala in the hand all the time. But as He says, when Arjun could take the Lord’s name even on the battlefield, why can’t we take His name wherever we are? Dear friends, He says we should practice taking our Lord’s name so much that it should be going on in our minds even in our sleep.

Guruji further says that Baba Nanikji has left great teachings behind for us. We should not only read them but also follow at least one thing given there. There are various ways given to please the Lord; it is up to us to read and follow at least one of them. Guruji says that Baba Nanikji walked around the whole country just to preach to the people. He had no personal motive behind His services. We today cannot walk across our own town. We are so full of selfishness and ego that we cannot think of our fellow brothers. He says that one who cannot respect, regard, and love his own Gurubhai has disrespected his Guru. If he cannot love one human to another, how can that person love God? He gives the example of Shabari, who with no personal motive, just respect, love, and regard for her Lord, used to clean the path of the sages who would go for a bath in the river so that no thorn would hurt their feet. She had so much love for her Lord that she even tasted every berry that she offered to the Lord. He says that the day we even start thinking like her shall be a great day for us. We should not have any differences among anyone. We should be able to see our Lord in everyone and everything. Only then shall we be able to say that we are totally under His sharan. But dear friends, this shall happen by practice and not only reading.

Satsang is more essential than “Bhakti” in this Kalyug.

Bhakti (love for the Supreme Lord) is a way to achieve God, but according to Guruji, this path, though perfect, is extremely difficult, especially for us humans in this modern world of Kalyug. Great examples of devotees who achieved God through mere love for the Supreme Lord were Bhakt Prahlad, Bhakt Dhruv, and Meerabai. But when one reads their history, they went through too many problems, to the extent that even their own relatives wanted to end their lives. But it was their never-ending and pure love for the Lord that got them through all those problems. Though painfully, they did achieve God.

Here Guruji explains that for us to follow the path of Bhakti is almost impossible, as we do not have that kind of tolerance and perseverance which existed in the time of Bhakt Dhruv or Bhakt Prahlad. So does that mean God cannot be achieved in Kalyug?

Of course not. God knows very well a human being’s limits in Kalyug, and that’s why Satsang is the answer. If one hears Satsang regularly, and not only hears but also follows the teachings of Satsang, he can achieve God and still live a modern life in this Kalyug.

Now, how can we judge whether the Satsang which we hear is affecting us or not? The yardstick for this is that as one hears more and more of Satsang, he suddenly starts developing love for the Lord and feels like doing selfless deeds for the Lord and even cries and yearns for the Lord.

If this starts happening, one should get the message that he is on the right path of listening and following Satsang. Because of this, automatically Bhakti (love for the Lord) is being evolved.

The Art of Listening to Satsang

There is an art for doing everything, including listening to Satsang.

Every work, when done with concentration, brings out the best results. This goes for everything. Even food cooked or eaten with concentration is the best. Guruji says everybody has this wrong concept that when listening to Satsang, one can do other physical acts, as listening is only done through the ears. Our hands and legs are free to do anything. Many people sit with their books to complete writing Ram or whatever they are writing. Others sit with some other books to complete. Also, some sit with their mala to do. Guruji says all this only divides our attention. In reality, we are only doing incomplete jobs. While listening to Satsang, only concentrate on what you are listening to. This will result in you understanding what is being said. When we are doing any other job along with listening, what happens is that at some point, we surely tend to miss out on any one thing. We are bound to make mistakes. We are, after all, humans. Our mind works for only one thing at a time.

However, there are some people who feel that we are after all doing our mala, and we are taking the name of God in our minds. But do you realize, Guruji says, that while doing so, we are giving half concentration to the name? No doubt our minds are clear, we are doing it for a good cause, but imagine someone calling us out with half minds. Will we take them seriously? Guruji says if you actually want to learn the art of listening and concentration, then say your Guru Mantra in your mind and also count it 108 times within your mind. Mind you, do not count on your mala or on your fingers. This has to be counted only in your mind. If you miss, then start all over again. This exercise, Guruji says, shall help you to concentrate on all your work and also gain patience. This is the most important thing in today’s world: concentration and patience. Also, it is believed that when we cook or eat our food with half concentration, we tend to increase the anger genes within us. Whenever there is anxiety, these genes are provoked, and anger is formed. Try and concentrate, especially while eating. Your food shall be digested faster, and also your anger shall decrease. All this shall help you to concentrate. Also, please do one job at a time. If you are listening to any Satsang, try and concentrate, for you are very lucky to even hear Satsang. Why waste that opportunity by giving it half your ears and half your mind?

In one of the Divine discourses of Guruji, He was quite tense and upset about one thing. We devotees take efforts to go and attend Satsangs, but after we come out from that Satsang, we feel content for a very limited period of time, and after a short while, that “MAN KI SHANTI” no longer remains. This means that the Satsang did not have a permanent effect on that soul. This thought disturbed our Great Guruji for a long time, and after months of research, He came to a conclusion that either He was a fraud (but this was not true, because our Guruji has never till today asked for one paisa from anyone, so no question of fraud).

The second and correct conclusion was this: We devotees do not spend any time after that Satsang to recollect what we have heard. “MAN KA PRABODH” are the exact words used by Guruji. He goes on to explain that only if we spend double the time thinking of the Satsang we heard and implementing even one principle or teaching of it, then we would definitely and very soon reach a stage where every Satsang has a lasting effect on us.

So if we hear 20 minutes of Satsang, we must at least give 40 minutes of personal and private time to ourselves to remember what we heard, once again try and understand each point that we remember, and make it a principle of our life if we agree to it.

We must explain to our minds what we have heard, and after that, we must try and follow those teachings. Only going for a Satsang, hearing and coming out, and forgetting everything will give only the fruits of the effort of going to the Satsang, but will not give us that eternal peace.

Our every action for the day must be considered, whether what we did was correct or incorrect, and how to correct and better ourselves.

This is the only way for any Satsang to have an everlasting effect on us.

Once in a Satsang, some devotees asked Guruji what the difference is between knowledge and wisdom, i.e., gyan and vivek (conscience or wisdom). Guruji says that there is a lot of difference, as that of the earth and the sky. Knowledge is something every living being has. The animals have it; humans of all ages have it. Guruji says that knowledge is something we all come to life with. Even a newborn baby realizes who his mother is and who shall feed him. Similarly, if you keep salt and sugar in two different places, then the ants have that knowledge of where to go. They shall not go to the salt; they’ll go where the sugar is kept. The knowledge of good and bad, eating and drinking, what to wear and what not to, and what to talk and what not to is something we all know. Also, the knowledge of books is something that anyone can acquire. We may be masters of various holy books and may be the best at reciting vedas and slokas, but that will not lead us to attain God. That will give us only book knowledge. It’s only when we use that knowledge in practice that we shall say we have wisdom, i.e., vivek. Guruji says do not only preach; practice is what will lead you on the path to God’s house. Only preaching and only knowledge shall lead us only to one place – HELL. We should never have the ego of being learned or rich and saying that how could the poor or low caste sit with us, for in the eyes of God, we are all equal. No matter how rich you are, you still eat the same food that the poor eat. You still live and die in the same way. Then how are you different?

Well, Guruji says that if you want to be above all, then you should be wise. No matter how rich you are or how learned you are, or for that case, no matter how poor you are, you may not attain moksha if you are not wise.

WHEN SHALL WE GET WISDOM?

This was the next question put forward to Guruji.

To which he replies that seva, simiran, and Satsang are the easiest ways to attain God. He says that these mediums are all easy and free of cost for anyone, irrespective of their caste, creed, and custom. He says that by giving charity, some get egoistic, and the Lord stays miles away from ego. He stays where people get together and remember Him with all their hearts, i.e., Satsang.

Guruji says that once Garud Bhagwan got this ego that he was the one who saved Lord Ram in the battle in which he was entangled by the snake and it was He, Garud Bhagwan, who saved him. Lord Narayan told him that he had said this in front of Him, but he should not do the mistake of telling this to anyone else. This talk did not settle in his mind. He was quite upset that he was not praised for his brave act and was, in fact, told to keep quiet about it. That was not fair according to him. Well, he went to Shivji Bhagwan, and there again, he repeated his story and also narrated what Lord Narayan told him. Shivji also told him the same thing and told him not to repeat the story to anyone else. This made Garud Bhagwan really upset, and on the way home, he met Narad Muni. Narad Muni saw his confused state and asked him what the matter was. Garud Bhagwan repeated the whole story and also said that he was quite hurt about the outcome. He could not understand why everyone was telling him to be quiet. Narad Muni replied that he was getting egoistic about the whole affair. The more he spoke about it, the more he would get ego. And hence, everyone had advised him not to speak about it. Garud Bhagwan asked how he was going to get rid of this ego, as what he was saying was also very true. Narad Muni, in very good words, said:

Tabhi Hoye Sab Sansai Bhang, Jab Bahu Kaal Kareya Satsang

All doubts are dispelled only when one has spent a long time in Satsang (the company of the wise

That means, hey Garud, your ego shall vanish only when you do Satsang day and night for a very long time. Till the time ego and attachments are there within our minds, we shall never be wise, and till then we shall not be able to get any closer to God than we are to our shadows. The nearer we want to get to Him, the farther and more difficult He shall be to attain.

How Does One Know Whether Satsang is Affecting a Person?

First of all, we have to clarify which religious gathering can be termed as Satsang. Going to a keertan is not Satsang. Going for a reading of a religious book is also not Satsang. Performing a Havan or Yagya (religious offerings) also does not pass as Satsang.

Satsang is food for the soul, or in other words, an explanation of spiritual knowledge wherein one learns how to decide on what is good and what is bad. A Satsang is only effective if that person, after listening to the explanation, makes an effort to assimilate the explanation, tries to digest all the explanation, and tries to act in accordance as and when any incident in his life occurs.

Attending Satsang actually starts making an impact when a person slowly learns to weigh what is more important.

Ādmī mein tolne ke shakti paida hoti hain

A person develops the strength to weigh (judge or assess) things (or people)

He starts knowing what is right, or what is his duty at a particular moment. In other words, he weighs his options of a particular incident and has the knowledge or develops this knowledge of which scale is higher.

A brilliant example is cited here. When a person goes for a condolence meeting to console the bereaved of a family whose relative has passed away, what do we do generally? We enter the place where the meeting is being held, meet the bereaved, console them, and ask them how it all happened. Most of the time, when there is a condolence meeting, there is a clergyman/priest reading either the Guru Granth Sahib or the Shrimad Bhagwat or any other holy book. But how many of us pay attention to what is being read? I am sure that 99.9% of us do not even know what book is being read by the priest. But if we are Satsang lovers and if the Satsang has really started affecting us, we would go to that meeting, sit down, and pay attention to what is being read rather than talking or meeting the people. Because once a person dies, it is our duty to remember God and pray to Him for a good place or position for that particular soul who has left the body, and that is why these holy books are read after the death of someone.

So we must not only attend Satsangs but also start to inculcate the values taught during a Satsang within us. It is this power that, when inculcated, shows that a person is being affected positively by Satsang, and then we start weighing each incident in life correctly. It is called “Dharm”. In other words, once a person gets the knowledge of what his next act or “Karma” is and that choice is correct, then that same Karma is actually called “Dharma,” and this can only come when that person has the knowledge and power of selecting what is to be done and what is not to be done, which, as mentioned earlier, only develops when Satsang has started affecting that person.

The Two Most Important Principles One Must Follow During His Human Life

According to Guruji, a human being does not have to give up anything in order to realize God. Nor does he have to give up his family, his business, or his day-to-day activities – nothing at all. In fact, he must spend most of his time doing all these activities. He must be honest and hardworking in his business or service. He must try his maximum to earn the maximum amount of money and give his family the best quality of life. Guruji says that money is very, very important. Even if you want to go to the jungle to meditate, you definitely need a small cloth to wear as a dhoti, and that too does not cost less than Rs. 200/- nowadays, so money is definitely important. Guruji also explains that it is easier to realize God by staying as a common man performing day-to-day activities. In fact, a common household man has more chances to realize God as compared to a man who gives up all his duties and takes to the forest, giving up everything in search of God. The common man realizes his duties, does not run away from life, and tries to keep his family and society happy while also finding a method to realize God within himself, so he is definitely more praiseworthy.

Here Guruji mentions two simple principles which, if a common household man follows religiously, can get the best of both worlds. That is, he can be a successful man in this world as well as reserve his place in the house of God. So what are these two principles?

Simran (Chanting the Holy Name of the Lord): The first thing a man should never forget is Simran, or chanting/singing the name of the Lord. All throughout the day, a man can perform his day-to-day duties while keeping the chanting or singing of the Lord’s name going. There is no hard and fast rule on what name the man must chant. It could be any name that he likes or feels comfortable with. One does not need to shun himself from life for 3 or 4 hours a day just to pray. In fact, he must continue with his daily routine while chanting all day. A stage is reached where, even when that man is sleeping, the chanting is going on within him. When this stage is reached, God is not far away at all. This means that you have realized that the Supreme One is within you and you have to look no further.

The other benefit of chanting/singing/Simran is that all of a man’s common desires are fulfilled automatically as he continually chants the name of the Lord. An example cited here is when Draupadi was being undressed by Dushasana. All Draupadi did was call out the name of Krishna, and He was there in the form of her saree and protected her from being insulted. Once a person gets used to chanting/singing the name of the Lord all day, he does not even have to ask God to get any of his works done, as automatically his jobs are taken care of. Plus, as one chants/sings the name of the Lord, he develops so much love for the Lord that all these worldly desires do not affect him as much as they used to. So whether his desire is fulfilled or not, it does not make much of a difference to him, as his soul is now in love with the Beloved, that is, God. The biggest example being Meera and her love for Lord Krishna.

Total Surrender (Surrendering to the Guru or God): The second principle is total surrender. The first principle of chanting got one’s jobs and works taken care of, but this second principle gives you God Himself. Along with chanting, one must have the feeling of total surrender at the Holy Feet of either your Guru or God Himself. And how does one get this feeling? Guruji says that it is very easy. Every morning, your true prayer should be, “Dear God, I belong to You, and You belong to me. Whatever happens to me, whether good or bad, is wholly Your grace and nothing else.” Once a person says and actually feels the above prayer, he is on the path of totally surrendering himself at the feet of his Guru or God. Even Lord Krishna tries His level best to convince Arjuna during the Gita, but Arjuna, an intellectual that he was, just did not agree. Till the last part of the Gita where Lord Krishna says that Arjuna has no choice but to agree to the final principle of total surrender. By doing so, the Lord will do three things for that soul:

1. Rid that soul of all the sins
2. Give that soul “MOKSHA” or liberation
3. Make that soul like Himself (like God, or make that soul one with God)

Once again, repeating that every human being must have knowledge of the two most important principles given by God Himself, which are Simran and total surrender, and must practice it religiously. Once a human being masters these two principles, he can go on with his routine life like every other human being, enjoy the luxuries of this worldly life, and make a reservation for himself in the house of the Lord.

Aim: The Most Important Thing in Life

Guruji says that without an aim, we shall not be able to progress in life. Without an aim (lakshya), we cannot do Satsang. You can’t have knowledge (vivek) without Satsang, and you can’t have Bhakti without Satsang. Without vivek, you can’t get gyan. Without having vivek, our souls can’t get the nourishment they are supposed to get from Satsang. This is also not possible till our physical bodies are not free from desires. Till our bodies have the blanket of desires, our souls can’t get the light of vivek and gyan.

The greatness of NAAM has been narrated by many saints in different ways. Even Lord Shiva had to get Naam to get liberated. Even Shri Ganesh took Naam, whose name is considered to be taken first among all the deities. It is with the help of Naam that Shri Brahma takes care of the entire universe. Lord Shiva prays for all the sins done on earth. Shri Vishnu takes care of us. Guru Nanakji says,

Shabad hi dharati,
Shabad hi aakash,
Shabad hi bhayo prakash

The Word (Shabad) is the earth,
The Word is the sky,
The Word itself became the light

Guru Nanakji says that when one takes the name of Shri Narayan, he is sure to free himself of all the sins done by him. He further says that man should be in the company of good souls and saints so that their influence on him shall make him free of all sins.

Guruji says that he is sure all of you must have surely made your aim in life. Because without an aim, our life is wasted, and the reason that we got this human form shall be wasted. He says that we should not aim for materialistic things, for they shall remain with us only till this body is there. Once the soul is separated from the body, all the materialistic things shall be left behind. He says that we should aim for things that we can take along with us, like the love for our Guru. This love shall help us cross through the life cycle without any problems. Once we have made a relation with our Guru, then no matter which form we come back to earth, our Guru’s hand shall always be there on our head. We may not be aware of His blessings at that time, but He surely shall be with us, taking care of our needs then also. Imagine the cows at the Ashram. Do you think they could be any ordinary souls? NO! When we are in total surrender to our Guru, He shall surely plead to the Almighty for us to get better facilities in whichever form we are. Tell me, Guruji says, why is it that only these cows are here in the Ashram and not many other cows that are just straying along the road? Dear friends, we learn that if we have true love for our Guru, then even Lord Narayan has to accept us, for our Guru is Lord Narayan Himself. Lord Narayan says that one who sees me in his Guru is a true devotee. No doubt we have to go through various pores before we shine out as true devotees. One has to go through various difficult tests before he qualifies to be a true devotee. Nowadays, we get upset when our slightest request is not accomplished, but Guruji says that a true devotee is taken care of by his Guru in every difficulty. But he has to go through the fire of pain. It is like we see our children playing and falling. We allow them to fall also so that they shall learn, but we never lift our eyes away from them. We do this for the benefit of our child only because we know that it is good for them. Similarly, our Guru is our father. He sees us going through the difficult penances and encourages us. At times when we are really in need of a shoulder to cry on, He offers His shoulder. But we should realize that all this is for our good only. We should trust Him and not question Him as to why He sat there watching while we wept.

Lastly, Guruji says that the main aim of our life should be to achieve God. Our ways could be any, but the main goal should be one. Aim for the Almighty Shri Narayan, and you shall get Him in your Guru in this life itself.

A Story to Show What Type of Life We Must Target

King Janaka, the father of Goddess Sita (consort of Lord Rama), once heard in his sleep, early morning, as follows:

1. Has nothing HERE and nothing THERE
2. Has a lot HERE but nothing THERE
3. Has a lot HERE as well as a lot THERE
4. Has nothing HERE but has a lot THERE

These four phrases confused King Janaka, who ordered all his saints to research and find out the meaning of these. After a few months and a lot of research, one saint from his court came up with the following answers.

First of all, the saint explained to King Janaka that HERE means this materialistic world, and THERE means the spiritual world where one goes after he dies.

1. Has nothing HERE and nothing THERE: To this, the saint brought forward a woodcutter and explained that this person spends his full day cutting wood, which he sells in the evening, makes a marginal sum of money, and buys food for that day. This is how he is spending his life. So he has made no money in this materialistic world, and also since he is busy the whole day, he does not spend any time to remember God, and so is making no arrangements for himself after he dies.
2. Has a lot HERE and nothing THERE: The saint brought forward the town dancer and explained to the king that this lady (dancer) had made a lot of money by attracting kings, princes, and other rich people and spent her whole day entertaining rich people. By doing so, she has made a fortune for herself. So she has a lot in this materialistic world, but what of after she dies? Yamaraj, the God of Death, would cut her into pieces for wasting her whole life in wrong deeds and spending no time to remember God.
3. Has a lot HERE as well as a lot THERE: Here the saint brings forward a very rich town businessman and explains that this man spends his full working hours of a day doing business and, in the course of time, has amassed a huge amount of wealth. But he also spends 2-3 hours a day praying, remembering the Lord, and doing a lot of charity. So he has made a fortune for himself in this material world and also has made a special place for himself in the house of God after he dies.
4. Has nothing HERE but a lot THERE: At this moment, the saint brings himself forward, saying that he never spent any time trying to accumulate wealth. So he has nothing at all in this world, but he has spent his whole life remembering God, praying, and performing various religious activities. After he dies, there is such a special place ready for him in the house of God that he would even push aside Lord Indra, who is the King of 33 crores of demi-gods (Devi/Devtas).

By giving this example/story, Guruji then asks us devotees to target the life of the wealthy businessman (and not of the saint), whereby we would spend our time doing constructive things to amass wealth, which has to be used in good deeds and not in wrong things like gambling, alcohol, etc. The wealth must be used for charity, helping the needy and poor, and giving one’s own family a comfortable life and education. Apart from this, one must not forget the name of the Lord and must try to spend most time remembering and praying to the Almighty. In this way, we all devotees will have the best of this life as well as the best position, that is, at the Holy Feet of Lord Narayan, after we die.

Guruji’s Gist of Every Satsang

Close to 100 volumes of Guruji’s Satsangs are for sale in the Ashram. If you go to see, most of the Satsangs have one particular theme that Guruji puts too much stress on: HUMANITY. Whether it is a Satsang on Shivratri, Holi, New Year, or even the regular monthly Satsang, what is the final theme? Nothing but ‘Manavtaa’ or humanity.

Dear devotees, let us really think about why Guruji actually stresses so much on humanity.

One other lecturer in one of his discourses says that if a person consumes alcohol, eats meat, has illicit sex, or takes any form of intoxication, then he does not qualify to enter the spiritual world. This clause may sound a bit harsh, but there definitely is some truth in it. Also, to second the above, we see that even our own great Guruji stresses so much on humanity, and all the above four conditions are against humanity.

A person into alcohol is virtually losing his power to think clean. A person into meat eating has generally not much control over his temper. A person into illicit sex has no purity. And a person into intoxication loses austerity.

All the results of the above are all against humanity. In fact, they are all total opposites of humanity.

Realizing God, initiation, and devotion do not even come into consideration unless and until we do not imbibe the characteristics of humanity within ourselves.

To really start digesting the characteristics of humanity, first of all, we must try to listen to our soul (aatma) and not to our mind. A good example cited here is that a lady once bought a very expensive parrot. Since her purchase was expensive, she had to maintain the parrot’s place of residence, that is, the cage. So the lady actually bought the biggest and most expensive cage she could find and spent hours every day cleaning and maintaining it. It so happened that she just took care of the cage and totally neglected the parrot. One day, the parrot flew away.

This is exactly what we are doing to our human form. We are only looking after our human body the whole day, thus totally forgetting about the parrot, which is our soul. And one day, what happens? Our soul flies away (death). Our records show that we have done nothing to save our soul from the disaster of Yamraaj and have made no arrangements for its comfort (at the feet of the Lord). So, dear devotees, let us not forget our human body, but let us start to shift our attention and preference to maintaining our soul, arranging for the happiness and food for our soul, and giving far more importance to the satisfaction of our soul rather than the satisfaction of our body, which only gets satisfied with material gains, and that too not permanently. After achieving something material, we still want more.

But once our soul is satisfied, then these worldly material gains will mean nothing at all to us. If we get it, then well and good, but if not, then no regrets. This should be our attitude towards life.

And of course, what does our Guruji say about satisfying the soul? Only chanting the Holy Name of the Lord and total surrender at the lotus feet of our Guru. That’s the only way, and no other method is applicable.

Summary

Guruji emphasizes the unparalleled importance of Satsang, defining it as “Sachi Baaton Ka Sang” or the company of truthful words. Satsang, he explains, is more impactful than Katha or Keertan because it addresses fundamental questions about the purpose of human life, the superiority of human consciousness, and the path to spiritual enlightenment. Through Satsang, devotees are guided to understand and realize their ultimate purpose—unity with the Supreme Lord—by instilling conscience, discerning right from wrong, and aligning actions with spiritual principles. Guruji underscores that Satsang is a rare opportunity granted by divine grace, leading to the transformation of one’s character and life direction.

Moreover, Guruji highlights the significance of the human form as “Dev Durlabh,” meaning even the gods envy it. The human form is uniquely positioned for spiritual progress, being the closest to the divine. He teaches that the human body, endowed with conscience, is a rare gift meant for pursuing spiritual goals and performing actions with the Supreme Lord in mind. Guruji also stresses the importance of humanity as the foundation of spiritual practice, asserting that without embodying humanity, one cannot advance on the spiritual path, no matter how devout their practices might seem.

Important Points

1. Definition of Satsang: “Sachi Baaton Ka Sang” – the company of truthful words, is essential for spiritual growth.
2. Superiority of Satsang: Satsang is more impactful than Katha or Keertan for understanding the purpose of life.
3. Transformation through Satsang: Satsang helps in discerning right from wrong and aligning one’s actions with spiritual principles.
4. Rare Opportunity: Attending Satsang is a rare privilege granted by divine grace.
5. Human Form as “Dev Durlabh”: The human form is rare and envied by even the gods, uniquely positioned for spiritual progress.
6. Purpose of Human Life: The human body is meant for pursuing spiritual goals and aligning actions with the Supreme Lord.
7. Humanity as Foundation: Humanity is the first step in spiritual practice; without it, one cannot progress spiritually.
8. Simran and Total Surrender: Guruji emphasizes the importance of chanting the Lord’s name (Simran) and total surrender to the Guru or God.
9. Ego and Attachment: Overcoming ego and attachments through Satsang is essential for spiritual progress.
10. Practical Spirituality: Guruji encourages living a balanced life, fulfilling worldly duties while staying spiritually focused.
11. Bhakti vs. Satsang: In Kalyug, Satsang is more accessible and effective than the path of pure Bhakti.
12. Art of Listening: Concentration is key to truly benefiting from Satsang.
13. Implementation of Satsang Teachings: The true effect of Satsang is seen when one lives by its teachings.
14. Humanity in Practice: True spirituality begins with humanity, and without it, other spiritual practices are hollow.
15. Life’s Ultimate Aim: The goal of human life should be to achieve union with the Supreme Lord through Simran and surrender.