At this juncture, the compassionate teacher in Shankara can as though feel the restlessness in the hearts of all sincere seekers who have been reflecting on his instructions in Bhaja Govindam. One common cry in each heart is, "You are absolutely right O Guru, but how do i do it?"
The steep rise of the spiritual path, the practices suggested, the transformations indicated seem rather impossible for us to scale. We are not super-humans. We are ordinary people, with little selfishness, lot of ego, mundane attachments, worldly desires, silly expectations, massive limitations and full of ignorance. We don't even have enough purity to consistently appreciate and walk the rocky road shown by spirituality. Irrespective of the clothes we don, irrespective of whether we live in an Ashram or at home, irrespective of how many shlokas of Bhaja Govindam we can sing from memory, we all have our set of apparently unsurpassable restlessnesses and unsurmountable resistance. To transform into a person so noble, so pure, so selfless, so devoted, so detached…seems only imaginary. And this desperation kills the seeker in us every day. We start feeling like it is impossible for people like us to accomplish this magnanimous journey in this life. Silently we surrender to our own weaknesses and limitations saying "Better Luck Next Life!"
It is this sense of burning desperation in us that Shankara is addressing now. He knows that what he has spoken is fully accepted by all of us, but perhaps wholly implemented by none. Not because we respect the knowledge any less, but because we just don't know "How to do it"! So Shankara introduces now the MOST POWERFUL technique in spirituality, which is sure to bridge the gap between knowing and doing. And that technique is "Satsang".
Yes, this may sound really too basic to even speak about. But this is Shankara's solution to our desperation. Satsang means inspired companionship. It is not just sitting next to a Guru and staring unto Him. It is being in the companionship of His/Her teachings at ALL TIMES. But that also surely is not easy. The inspiration we receive in the companionship of the Guru and His/Her teachings fades away amidst the onslaughts of life's situations again and again...
Yes, that is why, I need "Inspired Company" which is also Satsang. Regularly being exposed to intense inspiration through a spiritual talk, a class, a book, a discussion is very important. But what is MOST important is consistency. Be regular. Choose one way of being connected and pursue it at any cost.
But why Satsang?
1) The inspiration of a noble person (a Sadhu) is contagious. When you keep meeting, serving, listening to such a person, the inspiration in him/her gets invariably rubbed into you.
2) Someone who is devoted and commited to a spiritual life develops a certain strength of mind which can act like a crane and lift our minds also to great heights of inspiration
3) When we watch someone live the knowledge, our conviction becomes stronger. Conviction alone translates into action.
4) The vibes of the presence of a Spiritual person act like a fortress which can protect us from the various attacks that our own weaknesses and limitations constantly make on us.
5) In such Inspired Companionship(Satsang), one slowly detaches oneself from the old patterns of behaviour (Nissangattvam). When we begin to thus let go of old mental habits, we are able to understand ourselves and our lives better. (Nirmohatvam). Such a person who has no wrong notions about himself/herself can become calm and balanced. (Nischalatattvam). And when we thus gain such an inner equipoise, we are able live a life free from sorrow, anxiety, suffering, stress forever. (Jivanamukti).
Thus Satsang is like an automatic elevator. You just have to take the first step, and on its own it reaches you to the top!!
Something to Reflect On:
1. Those who say they have no time for Satsang because they are too busy with their own lives is like someone saying they have no time to fuel the car because they are too busy driving! THINK!
2. Gurudev went all the way from Kerala to Himalaya for getting the Satsang of Tapovanji Maharaj. How far are we willing to go?
Practice:
1. Start giving priority to Satsang. Know that the very secret of your transformation lies in Satsang. Make time for it. Never reject it.
2. Commit to some form of regular Satsang. Don't make it dependent on your mood.
3. Whatever you learn in a Satsang (Inspired Company), make sure you diligently live it without any compromise. Make Inspired Company into Inspired Companionship.
4. Pray for Satsang. That is a truly rare blessing. If I get Satsang, I will be empowered to get everything else on my own. And Satsang cannot be achieved without Grace of God.
5. Lastly, Whatsapp isn't enough. Nothing can replace a live face-to-face spiritual meeting. Seek Satsang, dear friends! Don't settle for the meagre. A phone can't ever do to me what the eyes of a Guru who looks into my soul through my eyes can do! THINK!!!
(TODAY's BLOG IS BASED ON VERSE 9 OF BHAJA GOVINDAM)
The steep rise of the spiritual path, the practices suggested, the transformations indicated seem rather impossible for us to scale. We are not super-humans. We are ordinary people, with little selfishness, lot of ego, mundane attachments, worldly desires, silly expectations, massive limitations and full of ignorance. We don't even have enough purity to consistently appreciate and walk the rocky road shown by spirituality. Irrespective of the clothes we don, irrespective of whether we live in an Ashram or at home, irrespective of how many shlokas of Bhaja Govindam we can sing from memory, we all have our set of apparently unsurpassable restlessnesses and unsurmountable resistance. To transform into a person so noble, so pure, so selfless, so devoted, so detached…seems only imaginary. And this desperation kills the seeker in us every day. We start feeling like it is impossible for people like us to accomplish this magnanimous journey in this life. Silently we surrender to our own weaknesses and limitations saying "Better Luck Next Life!"
It is this sense of burning desperation in us that Shankara is addressing now. He knows that what he has spoken is fully accepted by all of us, but perhaps wholly implemented by none. Not because we respect the knowledge any less, but because we just don't know "How to do it"! So Shankara introduces now the MOST POWERFUL technique in spirituality, which is sure to bridge the gap between knowing and doing. And that technique is "Satsang".
Yes, this may sound really too basic to even speak about. But this is Shankara's solution to our desperation. Satsang means inspired companionship. It is not just sitting next to a Guru and staring unto Him. It is being in the companionship of His/Her teachings at ALL TIMES. But that also surely is not easy. The inspiration we receive in the companionship of the Guru and His/Her teachings fades away amidst the onslaughts of life's situations again and again...
Yes, that is why, I need "Inspired Company" which is also Satsang. Regularly being exposed to intense inspiration through a spiritual talk, a class, a book, a discussion is very important. But what is MOST important is consistency. Be regular. Choose one way of being connected and pursue it at any cost.
But why Satsang?
1) The inspiration of a noble person (a Sadhu) is contagious. When you keep meeting, serving, listening to such a person, the inspiration in him/her gets invariably rubbed into you.
2) Someone who is devoted and commited to a spiritual life develops a certain strength of mind which can act like a crane and lift our minds also to great heights of inspiration
3) When we watch someone live the knowledge, our conviction becomes stronger. Conviction alone translates into action.
4) The vibes of the presence of a Spiritual person act like a fortress which can protect us from the various attacks that our own weaknesses and limitations constantly make on us.
5) In such Inspired Companionship(Satsang), one slowly detaches oneself from the old patterns of behaviour (Nissangattvam). When we begin to thus let go of old mental habits, we are able to understand ourselves and our lives better. (Nirmohatvam). Such a person who has no wrong notions about himself/herself can become calm and balanced. (Nischalatattvam). And when we thus gain such an inner equipoise, we are able live a life free from sorrow, anxiety, suffering, stress forever. (Jivanamukti).
Thus Satsang is like an automatic elevator. You just have to take the first step, and on its own it reaches you to the top!!
Something to Reflect On:
1. Those who say they have no time for Satsang because they are too busy with their own lives is like someone saying they have no time to fuel the car because they are too busy driving! THINK!
2. Gurudev went all the way from Kerala to Himalaya for getting the Satsang of Tapovanji Maharaj. How far are we willing to go?
Practice:
1. Start giving priority to Satsang. Know that the very secret of your transformation lies in Satsang. Make time for it. Never reject it.
2. Commit to some form of regular Satsang. Don't make it dependent on your mood.
3. Whatever you learn in a Satsang (Inspired Company), make sure you diligently live it without any compromise. Make Inspired Company into Inspired Companionship.
4. Pray for Satsang. That is a truly rare blessing. If I get Satsang, I will be empowered to get everything else on my own. And Satsang cannot be achieved without Grace of God.
5. Lastly, Whatsapp isn't enough. Nothing can replace a live face-to-face spiritual meeting. Seek Satsang, dear friends! Don't settle for the meagre. A phone can't ever do to me what the eyes of a Guru who looks into my soul through my eyes can do! THINK!!!
(TODAY's BLOG IS BASED ON VERSE 9 OF BHAJA GOVINDAM)
No comments:
Post a Comment